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Workers' quick actions limit hotel's fire damage

By Rebecca Catalanello, Times staff writer
In print: Wednesday, May 28, 2008

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ADVERTISEMENT Atwood

Have water, will douse.

That seems to be the motto for city of Tampa workers Timothy E. Williams and Kendrick T. Atwood.

The two Clean City Department employees were driving a 2,500-gallon reclaimed water tanker around 10 a.m. Tuesday when they heard a woman screaming outside the Alamo Hotel, 6110 N Nebraska Ave. Unit 7 of the single-story motel was on fire, and Dennis Robinson, 65, who has rented the room for 12 years, was nowhere to be found.

Atwood and Williams sprung into action, using a hose from their tanker truck to knock down the flames until the fire department could arrive.

The fire started when an air conditioner unit shorted, creating $40,000 in damages, Tampa Fire Rescue Capt. Bill Wade said.

But Atwood and Williams were lauded as heroes whose quick actions spared the rest of the building.

No other rooms were damaged.