Firefighter, ambulance struck by gunfire while helping patient: "We are the good guys"

MILWAUKEE -- A Milwaukee firefighter was struck by gunfire near 40th and Lisbon early Monday, July 6th -- as he was assisting a patient who was having trouble breathing.

Officials say the firefighters were dispatched to the neighborhood around 12:30 a.m. MFD personnel assessed, treated and were in the process of transferring a patient into an ambulance when police say shots were fired in a nearby alley.

Several rounds struck the ambulance and one struck a 46-year-old Milwaukee Fire Department firefighter. That firefighter suffered a graze wound to the right side of his head. The firefighter returned to the fire station -- and was later taken to the hospital for treatment. He was released.

A search for suspects in this incident is ongoing.

"About five to six gunshots were fired. At this point in time, all crews are on edge. We are the good guys. Regardless of your situation -- we're here to provide help. (This situation) has a lot of the staff very shaken up. The atmosphere at the station is somber. It's scary to think that it can happen," Dan Robakowski with Curtis Universal Ambulance said.

In a statement, MFD Chief Mark Rohlfing said the following:

Chief Rohlfing is expected to address this incident in a news conference scheduled for 7:00 a.m. Tuesday, July 7th.

Milwaukee police were not initially on scene, as this was supposed to be a routine medical call. But Dave Seager, president of the Milwaukee Professional Firefighters Local 215 says now, nothing is routine. Seager was the first to speak as firefighters' union leaders held a news conference at 11:00 a.m. Monday to speak about the incident at 40th and Lisbon. Seager said "the city is in an absolute crisis."

Seager urged Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and the Milwaukee Common Council to restore funding to the Milwaukee Fire Department.

"We are not trained to respond to shots fired. We are always on the front line. My objective here today is not to blame anybody. The objective here today is to basically plead with the Common Council and mayor to fund the fire department  fully and to please provide us with the police back up we need desperately to actually do our job for the citizens," Seager said.

Those whom we rely on for help are now looking for their own assistance so they can stay safe.

"We have started the process of potentially getting some sort of protective gear for them to be wearing," Robakowski said.

Mike Crivello, President of the Milwaukee Police Association also spoke at Monday's news conference.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has issued this statement on this incident:

Milwaukee Alderman Terry Witkowski has issued the following statement on this incident:

This isn't the first time in recent history that an ambulance has been struck by gunfire. On May 23rd, a Paratech ambulance was struck by gunfire, when it was driving through the intersection of Hopkins and Hampton.

The two medics on board the ambulance thought what they heard might have been a rock — and then continued to their call.

“They got out, the police were there, spotted that the squad had been hit by a bullet. Both crew members are very shaken up -- very concerned about what ended up happening and rightfully so," Teri Nitka, Director of Ambulance Operations for Paratech said shortly after the incident.

No one was hurt in that incident.

Monitor FOX6 News and FOX6Now.com for updates on this developing story.