OC firefighter injured in rollover accident while returning home in time for the holidays – NBC Los Angeles

Nearly two months after eight Orange County Firefighters Authority crew members were injured in a rollover crash, we're hearing from one of them for the first time.

Andrew Brown, 24, has a long road to recovery ahead of him, but his family and friends say the recovery so far has been remarkable. Throughout Brown's journey, his bright smile never left his face and we now know he has a positive attitude to match.

“As far as my current condition and the expected stay, I couldn’t be happier,” said Brown from Craig Hospital, a rehabilitation facility in Colorado. The firefighter has been at the medical center since October and is being treated for injuries to his neck, shoulder and spinal cord.

No one expected Brown to leave so soon.

“I was told it was a two-year recovery process,” Brown said. “The fact that I'm walking and moving my arms and stuff is a really good sign. I’m really confident about how much I’ll get back.”

Brown wants to get back to work one day with his second family – the OCFA Santiago Handcrew.

On September 19, Brown and several other colleagues were on their way home from fighting the airport fire when they were involved in a rollover accident. A ladder on the road forced the driver of the truck carrying the firefighters to swerve, causing the vehicle to hit a guardrail and roll over.

Brown was one of the most seriously injured of the eight injured firefighters.

“It was like a normal drive back,” Brown said of that tragic night. “And then I remember the buggy started tipping over.”

Brown says he doesn't remember the crash itself.

“I thought I was going to die,” Brown said. “In the ambulance I was really hoping and praying that my wife would be taken care of. But I managed it. Thank God.”

Brown, whose firefighter father inspired him to follow in his footsteps, has only been a firefighter for two years, but he considers his fellow firefighters family. The firefighters union and OCFA want to raise half a million dollars for Brown and the other injured firefighters, as some may not be able to return to duty for a while.

“We cannot do this job alone, and Andrew is a perfect example of what we can accomplish when the team comes together,” said Chris Hamm, president of Orange County Professional Firefighters Local 3631.

“This means we can put out a 25,000-acre fire like the airport fire or get one of our members back on the job in less than eight weeks. “So it’s pretty exciting and inspiring to see what firefighters do every day in this country,” he said.

Brown also finds strength with his family at home in Corona, which will soon be a little larger.

“My biggest motivation is probably my pregnant wife,” Brown said. “We are having our first child on December 15th!”

Brown is expected to return home Friday, just in time for the holidays.

“It's a girl. “I’m really scared, but I’m also super excited,” Brown said. “It’s going to be great.”

Two of the injured firefighters have returned to work and one remains in the hospital.