Atlanta fire captain Danny Dwyer has made seven rescues in his 21 years as a fireman, but it was the seventh that made national headlines, and not for reasons imagined.
In the early morning hours of June 28, 2019, a raging fire trapped 95-year-old Sallie Skrine on the dining room floor of her northwest Atlanta home. Dwyer saw her and reacted in a split second, pulling her out. While his effort was heroic, it was instead met with a two-day suspension without pay for violating the department’s fire safety protocols. Dwyer, who entered the home with two members from another truck, was supposed to wait for his crew to arrive before entering the house.
“You look, you react,” said Dwyer. “Fires double in size every 30 seconds. You have to do it in a rapid-fire way.”
Second Serious Injury Forces Dwyer to Consider a Backup Career
Dwyer loves being a fireman, but after suffering a neck injury in 2014 — his second major injury — and spending several months rehabilitating post-surgery, the realization hit him that he needed a Plan B.
“My mortality kicked in,” said Dwyer. “I didn’t know if I could do this (firefighting) for the next 20 years.”
He was always interested in real estate and decided during his leave to get his license and work part-time. Early on, he encountered Atlanta eXp Realty agent Kerry Lucasse who tried to persuade him that eXp was the place to be, but Dwyer wasn’t convinced.
“I just thought with eXp that you needed more of a background to function without an office,” said Dwyer. “Being a firefighter, I didn’t know if I could be in business by myself.”
So he joined a small brokerage, working part-time. Once he landed his first deal, he was hungry for more, but the lack of training frustrated Dwyer. He called Lucasse back and said, “Let’s do this,” joining Lucasse’s eXp team in 2015. Even though he spends three- and two-day 24-hour shifts at the fire station, he is still able to drive his eXp business.
“All I need is an internet connection,” said Dwyer. “The way Workplace works (Facebook’s collaboration tool for businesses) and the fact that we have agents across the metro Atlanta area, I’m fine. If I need someone to unlock a lockbox, I put it up on Workplace and everyone jumps on it. It’s just been great.”
Workplace is one of eXp’s most effective and popular communication tools because it helps the global eXp agent community interact seamlessly with one another.
Dwyer now focuses on mentoring other agents and building his own team.
“I got to 100% referrals four years into the business,” said Dwyer. “In 2019, I had $7 million in sales with 23 transactions – all with a full-time job and a kid. The family vibe and camaraderie are amazing. I would never go anywhere else. It fits my personality and home-work life.”
Meanwhile, Dwyer is back to work as a fireman after taking Feb. 13 and 16 off without pay due to the suspension. The woman Dwyer rescued did not survive. “I was angry, I was upset. I later learned she lived a spectacular life and ran a food bank from her basement.”
Dwyer says his suspension is under appeal where perhaps he will recoup the lost pay, but more importantly, wipe the charge from his record.
“I would do it again,” Dwyer said of rescuing Skrine. “How could you not?”
