Groton — A veteran member of the Poquonnock Bridge Fire Department who is also a paramedic with Lawrence + Memorial Hospital for 24 years was seriously injured in an accident last month, and now colleagues are trying to help Capt. Jeffery Douchette and his family.

Douchette, of Montville, was painting his mother-in-law’s house in Gales Ferry on Oct. 23 when the 15-foot ladder he was standing on fell. Douchette hit the downhill side of an embankment, shoulder first, he said. His friend and fellow firefighter of 20 years, Mark Murphy, who also was working at the house, heard Douchette yell and came running.

“I landed on my left shoulder, which broke my shoulder blade and ribs on the left side, broke my spine in five places and collapsed my left lung and lacerated my spleen. I knew exactly what was wrong with me,” Douchette said on Monday. “I knew what my injuries were when I landed on the ground.” Murphy called 911, and Douchette knew he needed a paramedic.

His son, Kyle, 13, was working at the house where his father was injured.

"Actually, he was very calm. I told him he had to call his mom, and he said to his mother, very matter-of-factly, 'Dad fell off a ladder,'" Jeffery Douchette said.

But his wife could hear him yelling in the background when she spoke to Murphy. Christine Douchette is a nurse and arrived shortly before paramedics. Jeffrey Douchette was then flown by Life Star helicopter to Hartford Hospital.

The Poquonnock Bridge Professional Firefighters Local 2704 and the Eastern Connecticut Emerald Society, are now distributing information about a benefit dinner to help the family.

The benefit dinner will be held at 6 p.m. on Dec. 9 at the Groton Elks Lodge at 700 Shennecossett Road, and will include pasta, meatballs, salad, a cash bar, raffle prizes and a cash raffle. Tickets are $20 and may be purchased at the Poquonnock Bridge Fire Station at 373 Long Hill Road or by calling Jason Pollard at (860) 705-2891, Bryon Beckwith at (860) 867-6253 or Ben Ragsdale at (860) 857-6480.

Fire Capt. Randy Carroll said Douchette has worked two jobs and has always given of himself. "He'd be there to help anyone else out," Carroll said.

Douchette underwent surgery on Halloween and has had chest tubes to remove fluid and inflate his lung, he said. He was released from the hospital Nov. 7. Despite the severity of his injuries, doctors expect him to make a full recovery.

The worst part of being in the hospital was missing his son’s football games, he said.

Douchette was able to watch his daughter compete with the Montville cheerleading team in the 13-14 age group during competition Nov. 14 at Fitch High School. The more he can do, the better he feels, especially outside in the fresh air, he said.

“I just look back and I think if I landed on my head, I probably would have died. I probably would have broken my neck,” Douchette said. “Life is a precious thing, you know? There are so many times, I worked on the house for three weeks, and a lot of days I was by myself.”

“I tell you the support from everybody has been tremendous, and I couldn’t ask for more,” he said.

d.straszheim@theday.com

Twitter: @DStraszheim