FIRE/EMS DEPARTMENT VALOR AWARDS

Volunteer Captain Walter “Joe” Brown                        Volunteer Fire Fighter Timothy McCloskey

Gold Medal of Valor                                                       Gold Medal of Valor

                                                      Firefighter of the Year

Fire Fighter/Medic Jamieson Scarlata                                   Fire Fighter/Medic Daniel J. Robinson

Silver Medal of Valor                                                              Silver Medal of Valor
Paramedic of the Year                                                             Paramedic of the Year

Paramedic Captain Ernest “Danny” Hughes

Silver Medal of Valor

Paramedic of the Year

GOLD MEDAL OF VALOR

Presented to

Volunteer Captain Walter “Joe” Brown

Volunteer Fire Fighter Timothy McCloskey

SILVER MEDAL OF VALOR

Presented to

Fire Fighter/Medic Jamieson Scarlata

Fire Fighter/Medic Daniel J. Robinson

Paramedic Captain Ernest “Danny” Hughes

BRONZE MEDAL OF VALOR

Presented to

Volunteer Lieutenant Curtis Patterson

Volunteer Chief Anthony Kelleher

Volunteer Deputy Chief Patrick Mann

Volunteer Lieutenant Peter Johnson

Volunteer Sergeant Timothy Moore JR

An early morning house fire in April of 2009 nearly claimed the life of Fire Fighter/Medic Daniel McGown if it had not been for the actions of fellow firefighters and paramedics. After attempting to exit a burning Kettering home, McGown fell unconscious and without the protection of his face piece sustained critical burns to his face and airway.

Alert firefighters heard a loud audible firefighter’s distress signal emitting from Fire Fighter McGown’s breathing apparatus. Firefighters tracked the distress sound quickly locating and removing McGown from the nearly untenable conditions. Paramedics assessed and treated his injuries and successfully maintained an open airway under extremely challenging conditions while transporting to the Burn Unit.

For extreme personal risk and the highest degree of judgment, zeal, and ingenuity;

Volunteer Captain Walter “Joe” Brown and Volunteer Fire Fighter Timothy McCloskey are awarded the GOLD Medal of Valor.

For great judgment and skills; Fire Fighter/Medic Jamieson Scarlata, Fire Fighter/Medic Daniel J. Robinson and Paramedic Captain Ernest “Danny” Hughes are awarded the SILVER Medal of Valor.

For unusual personal risk and ingenuity; Volunteer Chief Anthony Kelleher, Volunteer Deputy Chief Patrick Mann, Volunteer Lieutenant Curtis Patterson, Volunteer Lieutenant Peter Johnson and Volunteer Sergeant Timothy Moore JR are awarded the BRONZE Medal of Valor.

AND

Let it be known that because of their unparalleled courage and skills used to save the life of others; Fire Chief Eugene A. Jones takes great pride in naming Fire Fighter/Medic Jamieson Scarlata, Fire Fighter/Medic Daniel J. Robinson and Paramedic Captain Ernest “Danny” Hughes as 2009 Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department’s Paramedics of the Year.

AND

Furthermore, let it be known that because of his unparalleled courage and skills used to save the life of others in two incidents; Fire Chief Eugene A. Jones takes great pride in naming Volunteer Fire Fighter Timothy McCloskey as the 2009 Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department’s Fire Fighter of the Year

SILVER MEDAL OF VALOR

Presented to

Fire Fighter/Medic Lieutenant Dale Giampetroni

Fire Fighter/Medic David J. Wilson, Sr.

Fire Fighter/Medic Wesley R. Auld

Fire Fighter Derian C. Whitted

This foursome of Fire Fighter/Medics is credited with saving not one but two lives on a Saturday morning in October 2009. This group encountered a vehicle that had driven off the roadway and overturned in a creek. The vehicle and the lone female occupant were submerged underwater. When Fire Fighter/Medics arrived they worked feverishly to free the female and found her to have sustained a head injury and had stopped breathing and had no pulse. Paramedics also noted that she was pregnant. CPR was initiated and the critically injured female was transported to an area hospital. While en route to the hospital, paramedics were able to resuscitate the victim. She was stabilized at the hospital and later transferred to the Washington Hospital Center for additional evaluations of her unborn child. After a week in the hospital she was released and in early December gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

For great personal risk, judgment, zeal, and ingenuity the SILVER Medal of Valor is awarded to these Fire Fighter/Medics.

SILVER MEDAL OF VALOR

Presented to

Volunteer Fire Fighter Timothy McCloskey

BRONZE MEDAL OF VALOR

Presented to

Fire Fighter Captain Kenneth F. Fusco

Volunteer Fire Fighter Kevin Brenner

During an April 2009 afternoon, Fire/EMS units were dispatched to a house fire in the 6500 block of Seat Pleasant Drive with a report of an occupant trapped. Despite high heat and zero visibility, Kentland Volunteer Fire Fighter Timothy McCloskey located the victim in a second floor bedroom. He was soon met by Fire Fighter Captain Kenneth F. Fusco who assisted in the removal of the victim while Seat Pleasant Volunteer Fire Fighter Kevin Brenner directed his hoseline to protect the pair as they removed the victim. The victim, a 70 year old male, has since made a full recovery of his burn and smoke injuries.

For great personal risk and zeal - Volunteer Fire Fighter Timothy McCloskey is awarded the SILVER Medal of Valor.

For unusual personal risk and judgment - Fire Fighter Captain Kenneth F. Fusco and Volunteer Fire Fighter Kevin Brenner are awarded the BRONZE Medal of Valor.

SILVER MEDAL OF VALOR

Presented To

Fire Fighter/Medic Rachel M. Edney

While off-duty, Fire Fighter/Medic Rachael Edney was a patron of an Edgewater Maryland restaurant in Anne Arundel County on Sunday, February 1, 2009. She responded to cries of help from the dock area and without hesitation went to offer assistance. When she arrived at the docks she saw a man was slipping underneath the water of the South River and he was unable to rescue himself. Without fear of her own safety she jumped into the frigid waters and grabbed the man as he sunk lower into the water. She supported herself and the victim before other patrons and Anne Arundel County Fire Fighter/Medics arrived and provided assistance. The 61 year old male was transported to an area hospital after the near drowning incident suffering from hypothermia. His prosthetic leg caused him to stumble as he walked along the docks and he fell into the water. He was admitted to the hospital overnight and has since made a full recovery of his episode.

For great personal risk and zeal - Fire Fighter/Medic Rachel M. Edney is awarded the SILVER Medal of Valor.

BRONZE MEDAL OF VALOR

Presented to

Battalion Chief Kenneth D. McSwain

Fire Captain Robert W. Rouse

Fire Captain Grady A.Valencis

Fire Fighter/Medic Captain Scot A. Williams

Fire Fighter/Medic Captain John I. Gatland

Fire Lieutenant Rich Anderson

Fire Fighter/MedicTechnician Ernest S. Lindqvist

Fire Fighter/Medic Antwan D. Holbert

Fire Fighter Curk M. Smart

Fire Fighter/Medic Kelli D. Kivett

Fire Fighter/Medic Technician Shaun P. Duppins

Volunteer Fire Fighter Andrew Yang

Fire Fighter/Medic Joseph W. Krakosky

Fire Fighter/Medic Julius W. Lipscomb III

Fire Fighter/Medic Amir L. Barnes

Fire Fighter/Medic Christine L. Burley

Fire Fighter Gerald “Andre” DeShields

Volunteer Fire Fighter Greg Powell

Fire Fighter/Medic Michael S. Williams

Fire Fighter/Medic William B. Descutner

Fire Fighter/Medic Rachel M Edney

For quick thinking and fast actions of these first arriving firefighters that evacuated 45 civilians from stores at the Penn Mar Shopping Center in May 2009, just moments before a large explosion occurred. Eight of these personnel and one Gas Company employee sustained injuries; however, not one civilian injury occurred thanks to these firefighters. The blast surely would have caused serious injury and death if evacuations were not immediately conducted.

For unusual personal risk, judgment, zeal and preventing injury and death to 45 civilians, the BRONZE Medal of Valor is awarded to these firefighters.

BRONZE MEDAL OF VALOR

Presented to

Volunteer Captain James Kiernan, Jr.

Volunteer Fire Fighter John Schunk

Volunteer Fire Fighter Ben Ross

Volunteer Fire Fighter David Cooper

Volunteer Fire Fighter Bryan Eldridge

Volunteer Fire Fighter William Heiney

Volunteer Fire Fighter Randy Piper

Volunteer Fire Fighter Brad Badali

On Saturday, October 17, 2009, at about 8:45 a.m., Prince George’s County Public Safety Communications dispatched Box Alarm 14-12 for an apartment on fire with people trapped at 5925 Cherrywood Terrace, which is located in Empirian Village Apartment complex (formerly known as Springhill Lake). The first arriving unit, Berwyn Heights Truck 814, reported heavy fire showing from the second floor and immediately asked for a second alarm to be transmitted.

Due to the early morning hour of a weekend day, the Truck crew quickly encountered several residents who were trapped on balconies and in the interior stairwell of the first and second floors, as well as several injured residents lying on the ground. Without hesitation and without the protection of a charged hand-line, the crew from Truck 814 rescued seven occupants from the fire building. Numerous residents were transported to area hospitals with a variety of injuries; however, all survived. The quick actions of first arriving personnel prevented more serious and possible fatal injuries from occurring.

For unusual personal risk, judgment and zeal the BRONZE Medal of Valor is awarded to these firefighters.

BRONZE MEDAL OF VALOR

Presented to

Volunteer Fire Fighter Kevin McVey

An early morning crash in September 2009 left a victim trapped underneath his SUV - with both submerged in a water filled ravine. Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire Fighter Kevin McVey was assigned to operate the Jaws of Life to extricate the critically injured teen-age male victim from his precarious location. He began to work beneath the water to extricate the patient. This was a particularly difficult and challenging task that required a great deal of expertise and skill. McVey operated the Jaws of Life under the water while maintaining physical contact with the victim while simultaneously feeling for the proper place to cut. Prior to making his cuts, he had to hold the victim away from the blades of the cutters to ensure he did not cause any further harm to the patient. The patient was extricated within 30 minutes of the Fire/EMS Department’s arrival and was transported to a Trauma Center.

For unusual judgment and ingenuity - Volunteer Fire Fighter Kevin McVey is awarded the BRONZE Medal of Valor.