JFRD calls on you to help save a Local Hero’s Life

Jacksonville, Florida — For the link to Greg Franek’s Go Fund Me Page, click here.

The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department is calling on the community to help a local hero find a new kidney after he saved his neighbors’ lives in a 2-Alarm Fire at Atlantic Beach.

Greg Franek has lived in a small apartment building in Atlantic beach for over 20 years. On June 7th of this year, Franek woke up around 1:30 am and realized smoke was filling his kitchen. With only a t-shirt, shirt, and no shoes on, Franek immediately went door to door waking his neighbors up to evacuate them, saving multiple lives in the process.

Firefighters say if he hadn’t done what he did, there would have been a major tragedy at that fire. As a two-alarm fire, over 75 first responders tackled the scene, but because of narrow roads, strong sea breezes, and tightly packed houses, the fire took nearly an hour to extinguish, according to JFRD Captain Eric Prosswimmer.

Proswimmer describes Franek’s instincts to help others, “I think that’s something that is born inherently in somebody. He’s a person that helps somebody – that’s not everybody. A lot of people panic under those circumstances.

He adds, ”he didn’t care about his material possessions. All he cared about was his friends. So he’s straight from the heart – it’s what most firemen are made of.”

Now JFRD is calling on the community to help save the life of this local hero, who needs a kidney transplant.

Fire Chief Keith Powers says it would be a win for the community to save Franek’s life, a man he calls the True First Responder.

Powers says other responders that night told him how important Franek’s help was, “I actually talked to the crew of Engine 55, who was the first engine on scene on this call, and they told me that if he hadn’t done what he did, that we would’ve had some tragedy that night. So he is a true first responder. ”

Powers adds, ”he saved lives that night, but what I’m here to say today is that it’s time for us to step up and help save his life now. We, as a community, need some folks to get tested. Go to Mayo Clinic, use his name, get tested, and let’s find him a kidney. he helped save others, now it’s our turn to help save his.”

When it comes to Greg Franek himself, he shies away from being the focus of attention, however, when he does speak – his heart shines through.

“I’ll be honest, I was in a dark spot right after the fire, cuz I was like I can’t take it anymore. I’m waiting for a kidney. I’m on dialysis. I just lost everything. I didn’t even have shoes that morning I ran out. I had a pair of shorts on and a t-shirt. That’s all I had left. If I would’ve missed five days in a row of dialysis – I just wouldn’t wake up,” Franek says.

With tears in the eyes of his friend and neighbor, Henry, the last man Franek saved from the fire, by throwing a brick at his front door to get his attention, Franek says, “What I did for Henry and my other two friends – they’re my friends, I would think any of you would do the same thing.”

Franek needs a type O-positive donor and has been on dialysis for more than two years.

Firefighters are asking you to either go get tested at the Mayo Clinic to see if you qualify to be a donor, or you can donate to Franek’s Go Fund Me Page to help him secure housing after losing everything in the fire.

As of today, Franek has raised $8,940 out of the $10,000 he is asking for to get back on his feet and his doctors say it could be a wait of up to five years for a new kidney unless they can find a local donor sooner.

To see the raw footage of the Beach Boulevard Fire from the night of June 7th, you can go to YouTube @TheJFRD or click here. Warning the video content may be inappropriate for younger viewers.

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