BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — Buffalo Firefighters rescued a woman from the roof of a public housing unit in the city’s First Ward this morning. 7 News was first on the scene at the Commodore Perry housing project on Perry Street as fire crews arrived.
"Entrapment up on the roof of the building, and a fenced-in area,” remarked Commissioner William Renaldo, Buffalo Fire Department.
Buffalo Fire Rescue quickly responded to 344 Perry Street for a bizarre rescue where a woman was trapped on the rooftop of the public housing complex.
Commissioner Renaldo tells 7 News a woman apparently squeezed through fencing and got caught between the wall and the chain link fence post.
"So, she was able to get in, but for whatever reason she was not able to get out,” Commissioner Renaldo explained.
But within minutes firefighters were able to quickly free her.
"Our rescue unit was called, and they used the jaws of life and they put the spreader between the building and that fence post, and they were able to enlarge that area, and extricate her that way,” described Renaldo.
We heard on the Buffalo Fire scanner that someone walking by heard the woman screaming for help.
"Do you have any idea what condition she was in and where she was taken?” Buckley asked.
“Well, she claimed to be up there for a day or two but no way to confirm that really. She didn't really have any apparent injuries and we looked her over before we put her on the ambulance. We gave her some water in case she was dehydrated and then she was transported to ECMC,” replied Commissioner Renaldo. “Fairly high traffic area because you know, even while our folks were up there, other tenants in the building, you know, going up on the roof, doing other things having a cigarette — things of that nature, so the odds of being out there by herself for that period of time we’re not very good."
I did speak with the leader of the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority, but he declined to comment on the incident.
Commodore Perry residents who gathered outside the housing complex also refused to comment.
