Firehouse Magazine Rescue Award Winners for 1997
These winners were recognized in the April, 1998 Issue of Firehouse Magazine.
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| Allan Albaitis | Las Vegas, NV | Mark Robles | Las Vegas, NV | Craig Kern | Des Moines, IA |
| Tommy Grayson | Las Vegas, NV | Ken Teeters | Las Vegas, NV | Richard Rumley | Des Moines, IA |
| Cal Henrie | Las Vegas, NV | Edward Duckworth | Des Moines, IA |
Las Vegas, NV FD |
| Las Vegas Firefighters were notified by 9-1-1 of a fire in an apartment at 2300 Rock Springs Drive. The first unit on the scene reported heavy smoke showing from a downstairs apartment of a two story wood frame stucco apartment building with 8 units. Captain Cal Henrie and Firefighters Allan Albaitis and Ken Teeters crawled into the smoke filled apartment and found a lifeless elderly woman lying on the bathroom floor. | They dragged her out of the burning apartment and were met by fire paramedics Tommy Grayson and Mark Robles. They immediately started CPR and other advanced life saving procedures. By the time she was wheeled into the ambulance, she showed signs of breathing and had a faint pulse. The woman was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at University Medical Center. She was released several weeks later and fully recovered from her injuries. |
| Des Moines, IA FD |
| Firefighter Duckworth
responded with Pumper 10 to an alarm with reports of people trapped. Dense smoke was
pushing from both floors of a two story frame house. Duckworth and Firefighter Kern, also
of Pumper 10, reported to the front side. The captain of Pumper 5 said that some children were thought to be on the second floor. They entered and began a search. Duckworth searched a bedroom, found no one, and crossed the hallway to another bedroom. He found a six year old unconscious girl, picked her up and ran for the stairs. Outside he found her to have a pulse but no respiration and he began rescue breathing. He carried her to a nearby ambulance but found it full. He continued rescue breathing while he ran to a second ambulance which was also full. A police officer offered to drive him. He continued rescue breathing until he reached the trauma center. The girl, one of eight injured, recovered within several days.
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Firefighter Kern continued where his partner had
left off. He found a five year old boy lying unconscious and covered by curtains near a
window. He scooped up the child and ran to the stairway.
Outside he found a pulse but no respiration. He began rescue breathing and continued for several minutes until the medics took over. The boy was taken to the hospital and recovered fully. Firefighter Richard Rumley responded with Pumper 4. He entered with a hoseline, turned left and ran into a victim. He left the nozzle and pulled him outside. Returning to the hose, he continued to advance. Rumley found a second victim and dragged him outside. As Pumper 4’s senior firefighter, Rumley decided to withdraw the hoseline. Outside, he saw Captain Davis disappear into a first floor window. Bystanders were shouting that a woman was trapped inside. Rumley dropped the nozzle and climbed into the window. While entering, his helmet became snagged on the framing. |
As he tried to free himself bystanders shoved him, causing his chin strap to break. He lost his helmet as he fell into the room. Inside, Rumley and Davis found a victim, an elderly 300 pound amputee. A large hospital bed was between the victim and the window. With the help of Captain Davis he lifted the victim onto the bed and she was pulled outside. Davis left through the window and firefighters outside called for Rumley to follow, but as he looked back he could see fire rolling across the ceiling from an adjoining room. Although exhausted and without a helmet, he demanded that the nozzle be handed in to him. He was given the nozzle and followed by other members of Pumper 4. They attacked the fire and controlled it within several minutes. Remarkably, Rumley was not hurt. All three of the people he helped to save recovered from their injuries. Go to Directory for This Page |
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