County Firefighter Reflects on His Appearance on Oprah as Show's Finale Approaches

When firefighters Phillip Bird and Kenneth Ward went to Detroit, MI. for a conference in September of 2004, with Prince George’s County Fire Department Spokesman Mark Brady, they thought they would be recruiting new firefighters and teaching rapid intervention.

However, instead Bird and Ward were surprised by actor John Travolta and the cast of Ladder 49, who were sent by The Oprah Winfrey Show to bring them back to Chicago for an episode on "ultimate thank yous."

In February of 2004, Bird and Ward helped saved fellow firefighter, Lt. “Dino” Mahaffey, from a house fire in Oxon Hill.

“He was trapped and seriously injured, and a team of firefighters, and I found him without a mask and not breathing well,” Bird, now a lieutenant teaching at the Fire Training Academy, recalled. “We orchestrated the removal of him from the house and he was in a coma for 30 days in the hospital.”

Bird said it was hard time for the department, as Mahaffey was a friend, and the department knew his family and didn’t know if he would make it through.

Bird said Travolta flew them in his private jet to Harpo Studios. They were met by their wives Robin Ward and Kristen Bird, and Mahaffey thanked the firefighters for saving his life.

“It shined a positive light on a successful rescue mission,” Bird said. “Far too many times the stories are unsuccessful.”

He said the show was done in a way that everyone could understand the circumstances and how it took a toll on the lieutenant’s family and our department.

“[Oprah’s] really nice — she was really friendly and very accommodating,” Bird said. “She has ties to the Maryland area.”

Although he still gets razzed by fellow firefighters for being on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Bird, now 34, understands how being on her show can change lives. He said his wife watches the show, and when he comes home he often gets sucked into the topic.

“It elevated our national reputation for being one of busiest and larger combination fire departments in the country,” PGFD spokesman Brady said.

In her final season, the episode with Bird and Ward was remember as one of Oprah’s favorites.

The Oprah Winfrey Show will air its final episode Wednesday at 4 p.m. on ABC.