2009 Meritorious Conduct Awards - Class C

 

 

On July 8, 2001, Rescue Squad 1 responded to a Second Alarm fire at 693 7th Avenue with a report of trapped victims. The apartment was poorly configured and densely packed with furniture and belongings, with no visibility and intense heat. The crews split into two teams, the first crew finding a mother slumped over a crib and the second crew finding a small infant under the crib. Both mother and child would have certainly perished if not for these rescues.

 

 

On October 25, 2004, Rescue Squad 2 arrived at the scene of a working fire at 1727 Ulloa with a report of people trapped in an upper floor rear bedroom. The team of firefighters Rustia and Wood made their way up the heated and smoke-filled stairway without a protective hose cover, found the two occupants and were able to remove them to safety. Both firefighters removed their air masks and gave them to the occupants during their extrication from the fire building.

 

 

On May 29, 2005 at 540 Jones Street, SFFD units were dispatched to assist SFPD with a reported attempted suicide (jumper). Upon arrival, units found a man straddling the 5th floor fire escape and threatening to jump. Rescue Squad 1 staged on the 5th floor to offer assistance to SFPD officers who were outside with the man. The man refused to speak with the SFPD officers and stated that he only wanted to speak with a firefighter. FF Sikora, at SFPD's request, stepped onto the fire escape and began to dialogue with the man. After approximately ten minutes of conversation he was able to calm the man down and gain his trust sufficiently to get him to sit and lean towards the window. This allowed FF Botelho to grab the man's arm and restrain him long enough for FF Sikora and SFPD officers to restrain and pull the man inside to safety.

 

 

On December 3, 2005, while off-duty, Victor Wyrsch and Brook Baker saw smoke in the area. Upon further investigation they found smoke coming from the 3rd floor window at 3035 Webster Street. They forced entry into the building and alerted the 15 to 20 people in the neighboring apartments, instructing them to exit the building immediately. They then forced entry into the apartment which was charged with thick black smoke and knocked down the fire in its incipient stages using two house extinguishers thereby preventing major damage and extension of fire to the building.

 

 

On February 21, 2006, while off-duty at his home in Sacramento, Johnny Williams was awakened by his young daughter. She informed him that their neighbor's 1 year old son had fallen into their pool. Mr. Williams raced next door and found the boy in the driveway, unconscious and without respirations, surrounded by his frantic family. The infant had been found and pulled from the pool by his ten year old brother. Mr. Williams immediately began CPR while confirming that 911 had been activated. He continued for over five minutes until the infant began breathing on his own and was able to transfer care to the Sacramento Fire Department.

 

 

On July 22, 2006 at the 5th and Market BART station entrance, Lt. Rey saved a suicidal man's life through his own initiative and courage. Fire crews came upon a large and mentally unstable man standing on the BART entrance cement wall, threatening to jump approximately two stories down into the BART station. A large crown had gathered, watching the situation unfold. It was clear that the man was going to jump and could not be reasoned with. Lt. Rey devised a plan, communicated it to the Incident Commander and executed it in an expedient manner thereby saving the man's life. Lt. Rey secured the man and restrained him so he could then be transported to the hospital.

 

 

On September 2, 2006, Engine 28 was dispatched to street box 1423. The crew had been staking out the box because it had been the site of excessive false alarms for four consecutive days. The engine crew had taped the box shut and posted FF Orlando near the most frequently pulled street box. FF Orlando watched the suspect remove the tape and pull the alarm. When confronted by FF Orlando, the suspect confessed and was placed under citizen's arrest until SFPD units arrived. These actions led to a sharp decrease in false alarm activity in the area and deterred any potential damages or injuries which may have resulted from units responding to false alarm calls. The crew's perseverance and ingenuity led to this often-times difficult arrest.

 

 

On October 14, 2006, units were dispatched to the Church Street MUNI Station for an individual trapped under a MUNI car. Engine 36 and RC3 were first on the scene and crews immediately got under the train to assess the patient and administer life saving procedures. The crews also assisted with extrication efforts as other units arrived on the scene. The train was inside the station and the individual trapped was under the middle of the train, making patient care and removal extremely difficult. Crews worked in a very coordinated and professional manner to avoid further harm to the patient, or damage to the train. The patient was successfully extricated 44 minutes after the crews had arrived on the scene. FF/PM Johansen and RC Chocker were extremely instrumental in providing medical care for this patient.