Chief Presents Bronze Medals to Firefighter/Medics

MEDIA CONTACT: Mark E. Brady, Chief Spokesperson, 240-508-7930

BRONZE MEDAL OF VALOR

Presented to

FIRE FIGHTER/MEDIC RYAN A. SHIPP

FIRE FIGHTER/MEDIC JOHN W. GODENICK

Two firefighters were presented with their medals of valor for their actions on an incident in 2011. These firefighters were unable to attend the 2012 Public Safety Valor Awards and Fire Chief Marc S. Bashoor presented each with their awards today during a visit to their respective Fire/EMS Stations.

Fire Fighter/Medics John W. Godenick and Ryan A. Shipp were part of a crew from the Chillum Fire/EMS Station 844 when they earned the Bronze Medal of Valor for the following incident;. During the early morning hours of Sunday, November 27, 2011, firefighters responded to a house fire at 2411 Griffen Street in the Chillum-Adelphi area. On arrival, heavy fire and thick smoke consumed the front portion of a one-story, single-family home with three victims reported trapped inside the residence. First arriving firefighters initiated an attack on the fire, as other firefighters made their way ahead of the hose lines into the burning structure to search for the trapped occupants. Firefighters searched the rear of the house through blinding smoke and intense heat, locating three unconscious victims in their bedrooms whom they quickly removed from the increasingly untenable conditions. Once outside, the victims were found to be without pulse or respirations, and emergency pre-hospital care was started by firefighters and paramedics.

These firefighters and paramedics fought a well advanced fire, performed searches for trapped occupants in high heat and thick smoke conditions, and performed pre-hospital emergency care of the three victims removed from the burning home.

Fire Fighter/Medics John W. Godenick and Ryan A. Shipp performed multiple assignments that demonstrated leadership and the ability to operate as a team offirefighters and paramedics.

For their ability to follow instructions, initially operate independently without their officer, and to extinguish the fire and then immediately transition into patient care, Fire Fighter/Medic John W. Godenick and Fire Fighter/Medic Ryan A. Shipp are awarded a Bronze Medal of Valor.