Media Contact: Mark E. Brady, Chief Spokesperson, 301-883-7154
or
Assistant Fire Chief Alan C. Doubleday, 202-480-4776
The Prince Georges' County Public Safety Awards Luncheon was held on Wednesday, April 22. The event, full of pomp and circumstance, was well attended by elected officials, sponsors, agency heads, family and co-workers. The luncheon was held at Martins Crosswinds in Greenbelt, Maryland.
The Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department would like to acknowledge our sponsors that without their financial assitance we would not be able to hold this event.
PEPCO
National Harbor
Washington Redskins
International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 1619
MGM Resorts and Casino
WSSC
Fire/Emergency
Medical Services Department
SILVER MEDAL OF VALOR
Presented to
BERWYN HEIGHTS VOLUNTEER DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF
CHASE J. FABRIZIO
BERWYN HEIGHTS VOLUNTEER CAPTAIN MICHAEL
G. STEVENSON
FIRE FIGHTER/MEDIC JOSEPH C. FORD
FIRE FIGHTER/MEDIC OWEN G. HARDY
FIRE FIGHTER JOSEPH W. ALLEN-BAKER
FIRE FIGHTER WALTER J. BALMA
BERWYN HEIGHTS VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTER
EVERETT J. HOFFMAN, JR.
FIRE FIGHTER MICHAEL J. TOMASI
FIRE FIGHTER TIMOTHY C. VANDERHOFF
On a warm summer afternoon,
these firefighters, all members of the Fire/EMS Department Technical Rescue
Team, operated at the scene of a stalled roller coaster ride at Six Flags
America in Largo.
There were 24 passengers aboard
the ride that had stalled in a turn at the top of the metal structure 85 feet
above the ground. Apparatus, emergency
medical resources, and Incident Command were established on the ground, as
these nine individuals ascended to the top rail of the roller coaster. After ensuring the coaster cars were stable,
they checked on the medical status of the ride’s passengers. A plan was developed to secure each rider in
place with safety harnesses, which was done so that no one would be in danger
of falling to the ground upon releasing the safety bar. Once the bar was released, the passengers
were transferred to a ladder truck and removed from the coaster to the ground
and into the care of waiting medics.
After nearly two hours, the 24
roller coaster riders were safely on the ground and without any documented injuries. During that time, these firefighters operated
85 feet above ground on the greasy rails to bring this event to a successful
conclusion.
Therefore, for great personal
risk and ingenuity, Volunteer Deputy Fire Chief Chase J. Fabrizio, Volunteer
Captain Michael G. Stevenson, Fire Fighter/Medic Joseph C. Ford, Fire
Fighter/Medic Owen G. Hardy, Fire Fighter Joseph W. Allen-Baker, Fire Fighter
Walter J. Balma, Volunteer Fire Fighter Everett J. Hoffman, Jr., Fire Fighter
Michael J. Tomasi, and Fire Fighter Timothy C. Vanderhoff are hereby awarded a
Silver Medal of Valor.
Fire/Emergency
Medical Services Department
SILVER MEDAL OF VALOR
Presented to
FIRE LIEUTENANT ROBERT J. ANGELL, JR.
BRONZE MEDAL OF VALOR
Presented to
FIRE FIGHTER CHARLES L. BURNESON
These two firefighters arrived first on the scene
of a house fire in Bowie, where an occupant was reportedly trapped on the upper
floor.
Engine 819 arrived on scene within two minutes of
dispatch and provided an initial size up, to include "smoke showing” from
the house. Receiving instructions from his
officer, Fire Fighter Burneson, extended a hose line into the structure and
started to extinguish the fire located on the stairway, which was the primary
means of egress. Despite the severe heat
and smoke conditions and without regard for his personal safety, Lieutenant
Angell immediately ascended to the second floor and passed through the seat of
the fire to begin an intensive search for the trapped occupant.
After a quick primary search, Lieutenant Angell
located an unconscious adult male and transmitted that he needed assistance with
removing the victim. Fire Fighter
Burneson immediately reported to his officer’s location.
The pair of firefighters moved the victim to the first
floor, where other firefighters assisted them with getting the patient
outside.
Paramedics aggressively treated the patient and
transported him to a local hospital.
Tragically, he succumbed to smoke inhalation injuries a short time after
his arrival
For their quick thinking and immediate actions in
the removal of the trapped occupant, Lieutenant Robert J. Angell, Jr. is hereby
awarded a Silver Medal of Valor and Fire Fighter Charles L. Burneson is awarded
a Bronze Medal of Valor.
Fire/Emergency
Medical Services Department
SILVER MEDAL OF VALOR
Presented to
BRANCHVILLE VOLUNTEER FIRE CAPTAIN SPIRO W. DIMAKAS
BRONZE MEDAL OF VALOR
Presented to
BRANCHVILLE VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTER/EMT
DANIELLE M. CELII
A
heavy summertime thunderstorm rolled into the College Park and Berwyn Heights
Communities and remained there for an extended period of time. This storm dumped copious amounts of rain,
overwhelming systems and waterways and causing widespread flash flooding. One of the hardest hit areas was Berwyn
Heights, where dozens of homes and even the fire station were flooded. Many residents were at a loss for what to do.
Crews
from the Branchville Volunteer Fire/EMS Station operated in the area of the
floods along the 8900 block of 59th Avenue in Berwyn Heights. The staffing aboard Engine 811 split up into
teams of two, in an effort to speed up the search process. Captain Dimakas and Fire Fighter Celii, with
water rushing around their ankles, proceeded to check on a female stuck in her
vehicle. Indicating that she was okay,
the woman pointed them in the direction of her neighbors who were frantically
waving for help.
Upon
reaching the home, the pair was met by an adult male banging on a basement
window from the inside. The water level
was already up to the occupant’s chest and steadily rising. Captain Dimakas smashed open the window,
cleared the glass, and, with the help of Fire Fighter Celii, lifted the man out
of danger.
As
Dimakas and Celii continued to check other homes, they discovered that an adult
female, initially evacuated from her home, had returned to her basement to
retrieve personal items. The water outside in the street was now at knee level,
and basements were filling quickly with rapidly moving water. The female, now in waist deep water and
entrapped in her basement was unable to exit the home under her own power. Captain Dimakas, knowing it would take only moments
for the basement to fill with water, entered the flooded area where he reached
the woman and carried her to the safety of her home’s exterior. Fire Fighter Celii had been advised to stay
on high ground and remain in contact with Public Safety Communications, in the
event something went wrong.
The
pair continued going door-to-door, checking to ensure everyone was out of their
homes and safe.
Once
the storm passed, the crew returned to the homes where these two rescues were
made. They discovered that floodwaters
had reached the ceiling in both homes.
Therefore,
for great personal risk and ingenuity, Volunteer Fire Captain Spiro W. Dimakas
is awarded a Silver Medal of Valor. For
personal risk, Volunteer Fire Fighter/EMT Danielle M. Celii is awarded a Bronze
Medal of Valor.
Fire/Emergency
Medical Services Department
SILVER
MEDAL OF VALOR
Presented
to
FIRE
LIEUTENANT JEFFREY A. BURTON
BRONZE
MEDAL OF VALOR
Presented
to
FIRE
FIGHTER/MEDIC ANTWAN D. HOLBERT
FIRE
FIGHTER/MEDIC BRIAN M. MONN
These firefighters were part of an assignment, which was
alerted to a three-story apartment building fire on 23rd Parkway in
Hillcrest Heights. Several 911 calls were
received by Public Safety Communications, reporting the fire and advising that residents
were trapped on the second and third floors.
As units arrived, crews discovered there were multiple rescues to be
made from the top floor balconies where residents had retreated from the smoke
and heat.
Lieutenant Burton, who was aboard the first arriving ladder
truck, instructed his crew to take ladders to the rear of the building and
begin initiating rescues. Without fear
for his personal safety, Lieutenant Burton moved into the building ahead of the
hose line. Running past the second floor
apartment that was on fire and had zero visibility and high heat, he made it up
to the third floor apartments to search for trapped occupants.
Meanwhile, Fire Fighter/Medic Monn, who was at the rear of
the building, threw a ladder to the third floor balcony where residents were surrounded
by thick smoke and needed to be rescued.
Monn ascended the 35-foot ladder and made contact with two
females, both overcome by fear. Upon
entering the smoke and heat-filled apartment, he closed the door to the main
hallway to limit the flow path of the fire.
Fire Fighter/Medic Monn met up with Lieutenant Burton at the door way,
relaying that he had located two occupants trapped on the balcony and that he
was sheltering them in place. Burton
continued his search for trapped occupants on upper floors and not finding
anyone, eventually cleared the area. He
then met his crew downstairs where they persisted to work on extinguishing the
fire.
Monn advised the frantic residents that the fastest way down
was to climb over the third floor balcony railing and descend the same ladder on
which he had climbed up. However, this
only created more fear and panic in the two female residents.
Smoke and fire continued to issue up to the top floor where
Fire Fighter/Medic Monn was sheltered in place with the two residents who were
refusing to climb over the balcony.
Realizing that time was of the essence to exit the area, he called for
assistance from a ladder truck that was positioned on the rear of the
building. The ladder truck’s driver,
Fire Fighter/Medic Holbert, found a power saw and ascended the ladder to the
third floor. He then cut off the balcony
railing, which allowed for easier egress.
Assisted by both Fire Fighter/Medics Monn and Holbert, the first female
was brought down and placed in the care of awaiting EMS personnel. The second female was brought down the same
ladder by a fellow firefighter. Had it
not been for Fire Fighter/Medic Monn’s patience and quick thinking of Fire
Fighter/Medic Holbert, this incident could have had a tragic outcome
For his great personal risk in running past a burning
apartment to reach possibly trapped victims, Fire Lieutenant Jeffrey A. Burton
is hereby awarded a Silver Medal of Valor.
For their personal risk and ingenuity, Fire Fighter/Medic Antwan
D. Holbert and Fire Fighter/Medic Brian M. Monn are hereby awarded a Bronze
Medal of Valor.
Fire/Emergency
Medical Services Department
BRONZE MEDAL OF VALOR
Presented to
LANDOVER HILLS
VOLUNTEER DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF CHRISTOPHER M. SAPUTO
Volunteer Deputy Fire Chief Saputo was returning to
the County from Maryland Shock Trauma in Baltimore when he was flagged down by
bystanders, who were requesting his assistance for a motor vehicle accident. The incident had occurred on the Baltimore-Washington
Parkway, just outside of the city.
Upon his immediate response to their call for help,
he encountered a male driver trapped inside a pickup truck that had veered off
the road and into some trees. Time was of the essence, as a fire erupted
in the engine compartment and was spreading into the passenger area and the
vehicle’s undercarriage.
Quickly donning his personal protective equipment
and self-contained breathing apparatus, Deputy Fire Chief Saputo approached the
truck. The victim was conscious and able to move his upper body, but his
legs were pinned. The vehicle’s damaged cab prevented Saputo from opening
the doors. Without the protection of a hose
line or extrication equipment and operating alone, he placed himself in harm’s
way and continued efforts to rescue the victim. However, the now fully
engulfed passenger compartment forced him to retreat. Sadly, despite his
valiant efforts and the fire department’s quick response and knockdown of the
fire, the victim was declared deceased on the scene.
Therefore, for placing himself in harm’s way in an attempt to save a
life, Volunteer Fire Deputy Fire Chief Christopher M. Saputo is awarded a
Bronze Medal of Valor.
Fire/Emergency
Medical Services Department
BRONZE MEDAL OF EXCELLENCE
IN EMS
Presented to
FIRE FIGHTER/MEDIC EDWARD G. ALDACO
FIRE FIGHTER/MEDIC JUSTIN W. CHONG
This team of medics was dispatched on a
call for chest pains. As the crew was
about to transport to the hospital, the patient suddenly went unconscious,
stopped breathing, and experienced a lethal cardiac arrhythmia. Without rapid intervention, more likely than
not, the patient would not survive. The
medics quickly recognized the urgency of the situation and began to administer
cardiac defibrillation, which resulted in the return of the patient’s
respirations.
During the transport to the hospital,
the patient lapsed into a lethal cardiac arrhythmia a number of times and was
repeatedly intervened with defibrillation, medication, and CPR. Following a total of 10 defibrillations, the
patient was delivered to the hospital and quickly taken to the catheterization
laboratory. The patient remained
conscious during the cardiac procedure and was subsequently transferred via
helicopter to another medical facility for additional cardiac care.
The quick thinking and swift response
of these providers are commendable. They
did not have the normal complement of personnel on-scene to assist with patient
care on this particular call, as the patient’s condition began to deteriorate
after the additional units had already cleared the call. Even so, the pair was able to overcome the
challenges presented on this call and ultimately save a life. Therefore, Fire Fighter/Medic Edward G. Aldaco
and Fire Fighter/Medic Justin W. Chong are hereby awarded a Bronze Medal of
Excellence in EMS care.
Fire/Emergency
Medical Services Department
BRONZE MEDAL OF EXCELLENCE
IN EMS
Presented to
FIRE FIGHTER/MEDIC LESTER H. BASCOM
and
FIRE FIGHTER/MEDIC REGAN M. CARTER
This team of paramedics was responsible
for saving two lives through aggressive pre-hospital treatment of cardiac
arrest victims.
These medics were in quarters when they
were summoned to the Bingo Hall adjacent to the station. Upon reaching the hall, they found a 46 year-old
male lying on the floor. He was not
breathing and did not have a pulse. The
pair conducted a quick assessment, after which they defibrillated the patient. They proceeded to rapidly establish an IV
line and place an ET tube, while other providers performed CPR. Recognizing the urgency and need to provide
additional lifesaving interventions, multiple medications were administered to
the patient. A total of nine
defibrillations were administered, which resulted in the return of his pulse
and cardiac activity. The patient survived
the experience and eventually was discharged from the hospital with the
prognosis of a good quality life.
The quick thinking and swift response
of the providers is commendable. Calls
involving persons needing CPR require proper crew resource management and a
strong working knowledge of Maryland protocols.
Calls which involve multiple defibrillations are uncommon, and can often
tax resources to their limits. Carter
and Bascom were able to overcome the challenges presented on this call.
For their second save, the pair responded
to the home of a patient who was in cardiac arrest. After a quick assessment, immediately established
an IV line and placed an ET tube while other providers performed CPR. Having recognized the urgency and need to
provide additional lifesaving interventions, they administered multiple
medications that resulted in a return of the patient’s pulse and cardiac
activity.
For their quick thinking, swift
response, and a strong working knowledge of Maryland protocols, Fire
Fighter/Medic Lester H. Bascom and Fire Fighter/ Medic Regan M. Carter are
hereby awarded a Bronze Medal of Excellence in EMS.
Fire/Emergency
Medical Services Department
BRONZE MEDAL OF EXCELLENCE
IN EMS
Presented to
FIRE FIGHTER/MEDIC SHAWN C. MILLER
PARAMEDIC AMANDA H. GARRETT
This team of paramedics was responsible for saving
two lives through aggressive pre-hospital treatment of cardiac arrest victims.
Miller
and Garrett were aboard the medic unit from Fire/EMS Station 810, when they
were dispatched for the report of a person in cardiac arrest. Upon
arrival and after quickly assessing the patient, the pair rapidly established an IV
line and placed an ET tube, while other providers performed CPR. The urgency of the situation again called for
additional lifesaving interventions.
Multiple medications were administered, after which the patient regained
both a pulse and cardiac activity.
Just four days later, this same team responded to a
call for a person who had stopped breathing. Again, the medical care
provided to the victim enabled the resumption of cardiac activity prior to
reaching the hospital.
A “save” is always the ultimate goal of
the Fire/EMS Department. Unfortunately,
in too many instances the outcome is tragic.
However, the cohesive efforts of these two paramedics and the rapid
prehospital care they provided in the aforementioned incidents saved the lives
of both patients.
For their quick thinking, swift
response, and a strong working knowledge of Maryland protocols, Fire
Fighter/Medic Shawn C. Miller and Paramedic Amanda H. Garrett are hereby
awarded a Bronze Medal of Excellence in EMS.
Fire/Emergency
Medical Services Department
BRONZE MEDAL OF EXCELLENCE
IN EMS
Presented to
FIRE FIGHTER/MEDIC JAMES A. HARRIS
and
FIRE FIGHTER/MEDIC JASON M. RUSH
This team of medics was responsible for
saving a life through aggressive pre-hospital treatment of a cardiac arrest
victim, when they were dispatched on a call for an unresponsive person with CPR
in progress.
Upon arrival, the medics suspected that
the patient had a lethal arrhythmia of the heart. Fire Fighter/Medics Harris and Rush conducted
a quick assessment that confirmed their initial suspicion. Recognizing the graveness of the situation,
the pair immediately established an IV line and placed an ET tube while other providers
performed CPR. Harris and Rush defibrillated
the patient and administered multiple medications, which ultimately resulted in
a return of a pulse and cardiac activity.
For the quick thinking and swift actions
of these providers, as well as their zeal and strong working knowledge of
Maryland protocols, Fire Fighter/Medic James A. Harris and Fire Fighter/Medic Jason
M. Rush are hereby awarded a Bronze Medal of Excellence in EMS.
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