Firefighters honor boy hero

Landyn Brown, of Eunice, didn’t even think that he could be an honorary fireman. The 10 year-old, fourth-grader at Glendale Elementary said that he was surprised after he was made an honorary firefighter on Saturday at the Sittig Road fire station.
Landyn said that he wants to be a fireman when he grows up. However, Eunice Fire Chief Mike Arnold said Landyn was a fire fighter the moment he saved three lives in an Easter Sunday house fire.
“Today’s celebration is to honor Landyn Brown– who saved his family on Easter Sunday morning at about 1:30 when he woke them up and they were having a house fire,” said Arnold. “Landyn is the nephew and one of our paid fire fighter and operator, Chase Brown. Today’s ceremony is a collaborative effort between Eunice Fire Department, the Professional Firefighter’s Association, Acadia Fire District 4 and The St. Landry Fire District 6.”
Chief Arnold said that Landyn had no idea that he was going to be honored on Saturday. Landyn was told that he was going to watch a demonstration of the firefighters with hoses. As Landyn loves firefighters, Chief Arnold that Landyn was excited on Saturday when the regional firefighters surprised the young boy hero.
The brave and heroic Landyn said that his family’s house fire was “kinda” scary. Landyn described the house fire on Easter Sunday and his actions that saved his mother Elisabeth, his younger sister, Laikyn, 6, and his little brother Logan, 3, from a fiery fate.
“I heard crackling noises that sounded like some sticks breaking like fireworks,” said Landyn. “I heard that and my mom thought that I was joking around with her. I woke up Logan and he ran out the door because I told him that the house was on fire. I dragged Laikyn. I dragged her out the door and she was still sleeping at the door. I had to drag her towards the door because the fire was like right there. But I couldn’t wake her up and mom had to come and wake her up.”
Ladnyn’s proud mother, Elizabeth Roget-Brown, said that Saturday was an amazing and exciting day for her son as he was honored at the fire station. She said that it was a stark contrast of Easter Sunday morning.
“I was just overwhelmed as we were walking out of the front door I just kept saying, ‘I can’t believe this is happening’ but in the end, it couldn’t have turned out any better for me,” said Elizabeth. “Me and my three kids walked out the front door. And that’s all I need to walk out the front door.”
Elizabeth said that the firemen’s recognition of Landyn is going to help Landyn to be just the “awesome little man” that she knew that he wants to be. She said that she fully supported his choice to become a career firefighter when he’s a bit older.
As Landyn was honored with a hero medal, a plaque, a framed copy of The Firefighter’s Prayer and a lamp made from an old fire extinguisher, Chief Arnold suggested that, because Landyn has relatives who are firemen, firefighters are born and not made. The firefighters, who assisted in putting out the Easter Sunday blaze, lined-up to shake Landyn’s hand. Landyn had saved the lives and did the job of those that now considered him a “little brother.”
“I have a tapestry at my house, and I ‘m not sure where the quote comes from but it says, ‘A firefighter is not a hero for what he does, but for what might happen’,” said Arnold. “Mr. Landyn Brown, on the morning of April 20, Easter morning, did what he needed to do to ensure the safety of his family. He did what any firefighter would normally be doing: protecting the life safety of others.”