VICTIM IMPACT | Family and firefighters Statements given Monday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court:

RETIA CRAWFORD

19, who escaped from the fire:

11JULIUS CRAWFORD

18, Retia’s brother:

11FIRE CHIEF JOHN O’NEILL

(after court):

11YOLANDA CONNER

the deceased children’s aunt:

111FIREFIGHTER JAMES GOODLET

one of the injured firefighters:

11“I wish he could know the anxious thoughts that raced through our minds when we learned that a family was still inside that burning home. I wish he could feel the heat on our faces as we searched in total darkness during the frustrating effort to find the stairway and the six innocent victims. I wish he could understand the pain we felt, and still feel, as we carried the lifeless body of an innocent child out of that house again, and again and again.

“The truth is: He will never experience, know, feel or understand what we went through that day.

“Of the 33 firefighters that were there that morning, eight were injured. Nearly 25 percent of the firefighters that responded were hurt trying desperately to save even just one soul.

“We accept as firefighters that we may have to give our lives to save others, and we were fully aware that this level of sacrifice was possible in our efforts to save the helpless victims — the Crawford family. However, when we are exposed to this level of sacrifice due to the deliberate, vicious and cowardly act of an arsonist, we entrust the court to send a clear message and impose the maximum sentence allowed by law.”