Double Amputee Firefighter Fights for Better Disability Inclusion

Reading Time: 6 minutes

There are several amputee firefighters in various parts of the country, but double amputee firefighters are rare. Dustin Pruett, a 24-year-old firefighter from Bellmore, Indiana, could be the only one in the state. If anyone is familiar with the challenges of disability inclusion, it’s him.

Pruett was born with an unknown medical condition that made one of his legs unusable. His condition didn’t show on any ultrasounds, so his doctor was just as surprised as his parents. With this news, his parents chose to amputate rather than confine him to a wheelchair.

In 2018, after enduring years of persistent pain in his remaining leg and trying numerous unsuccessful treatments and surgeries, Pruett made the difficult decision to have the remaining leg amputated. This marked his transition from being a single-leg amputee to a double amputee.

An unlikely calling  

Pruett’s father is a firefighter, and he grew up with respect and admiration for the profession. As a child, he would spend his days playing in a fire station, admiring the fiery red engines and dreaming of the day he’d take them on calls of his own.

In 2019, he achieved his childhood dream by joining the Bellmore Fire Department in Rockville. The department’s training program initially drew Pruett in, and he finds great fulfillment in the educational component of his position. He has since earned numerous certifications in various areas, including medical practices and instructional techniques.

Pruett joined the fire service the same year as his best friend, Cameron Jenness. They met the year they joined the same department. And Jenness is his biggest advocate at work.

Being a double amputee in the fire service would attract doubts. Being a firefighter involves not only quick thinking but also quick action. So, Jenness tries to destigmatize people’s concerns about Pruett’s ability to do the job whenever he hears them.

In an interview with The State House File, Jenness shared that he assures people of Pruett’s capability to do the job well. If it’s another firefighter, he tells them that Pruett can do everything they can but in a different way. Jenness shared that he trusts Pruett more than others he’s met in the fire service.

Pushing through the doubts  

However, people in the fire service don’t always understand Pruett the way Jenness does. In the same interview with The State House File, Pruett said that cutthroat doesn’t even describe his experiences with colleagues.

Among their issues is the risk of his prosthetic legs melting in a fire. But Pruett’s prosthetic legs are constructed from titanium and fiberglass, both of which have melting points that exceed the temperatures that anyone—even non-amputee firefighters—could survive.  

Pruett recognizes his limits, but he remains confident in his ability to perform all the duties of a firefighter during fire calls, including entering structures, climbing ladders, and providing assistance as needed.

The searing comments and stigmas show no signs of stopping soon, but he uses them to keep going.

What keeps him going  

Pruett’s driving force is to help other child amputees live joyfully, just like he’s learned to.

When he was 19 years old, Pruett was called by Shriners Children’s St. Louis to meet a young man contemplating having an amputation surgery. At the time, the child didn’t know what an amputation was. So, Pruett talked with him and helped him understand what would happen to him if he decided to go through with the surgery.

Within six weeks, the child walked again, beating Pruett’s record by about three to four weeks. He also started playing baseball that summer.

Pruett still meets with his mentee from time to time and hopes to continue to mentor kids. 

Plans for the future  

Pruett loves to go on hikes, but his biggest pain point with the hobby is making it down the range. A sport utility vehicle could help with this. So, he has been tossing around the idea of starting a foundation to help amputees hike and hunt more effectively and safely.

Pruett envisions a world where people with disabilities can experience life to the fullest without being limited by physical or financial barriers. But right now, he is deeply frustrated by the lack of support and transparency from government agencies and prosthetic and insurance companies. The constant denial of financial assistance for his prosthetics by insurance companies adds to his already significant challenges.

To get help, one often has to put oneself in front of a camera, and even those brave enough to do so are frequently misunderstood.

Pruett would have pursued biomedical engineering if it weren’t for his pre-calculus grades. This desire is rooted in his frustration with many prosthetic companies that don’t understand what the average amputee needs from a prosthetic leg.

According to Pruett, most companies are focused on making fancy prosthetic devices that move, but the disparity in access to insurance coverage is glaring. He questions the fairness of the situation, pointing out that while some individuals receive significant coverage by simply being in front of a camera, others like himself get denied insurance all the time.

Pruett wishes that if he could talk to lawmakers or those who manufacture prosthetics, he’d advocate for lowering the costs of the products. His current prosthetic devices already cost thousands—which he felt was excessive. 

Doing what he can  

But for now, Pruett is fully dedicated to making the most of what he has been given. He has set a personal goal of climbing every fire tower located in Indiana’s state parks. By conquering these historical towers, he combines his passion for the outdoors with his mission to demonstrate that amputees can lead just as active a lifestyle as anyone else.

To motivate others to embark on new adventures, Pruett recently launched a new Facebook page called “Dustin’s Outdoor Adventures.” Through this platform, he shares updates on his tower climbs, hikes, and various outdoor adventures.

With every post, Pruett aims to inspire people with disabilities, showing them that they are capable of achieving much more. And this may be the beginning of his dream to make real change.