St. Louis Fire Department Lifesaving Foundation

The St. Louis Fire Department's Lifesaving Awards Ceremony was held on May 17, 2011 on the campus of St. Louis Community College at Forest Park.  All of the awards represented a LIFE that would not be here today had it not been for the actions of the first responders.   Dignitaries participating in the ceremony included J. Curtis Engler, President of the St. Louis Fire Department Lifesaving Foundation; Ned Fryer, Vice President of the St. Louis Fire Department Lifesaving Foundation; Joe Imbs, Chairman of U.S. Bank - Midwest Region; Charles Bryson, Director of Public Safety for the City of St. Louis; St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson; Saint Louis University Hospital CEO Phillip Sowa; and Dr. Mark D. Levine, Medical Director SLFD EMS, Professor, Emergency Medicine Washington University/Barnes-Jewish Hospital.    

The "Chris Walsh" Award was presented to Paramedic Christian Yacula and EMT Chris Dimza by Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson and Public Safety Director Charles Bryson. 

For readers not familiar with his story, the late Chris Walsh was a well-liked St. Louis Fire Department medic who also maintained his status in our military reserves.   Chris was activated to serve in the Middle East where he was killed doing what he believed in -- serving his country. Chris was also well known for his acts of compassion and community involvement in Iraq, especially when "children of war" were involved.   The Chris Walsh Award honors heroic actions above and beyond the line of duty or providing extraordinary services to a community, such as Chris did.

On Mother's Day 2008, Paramedic Yacula and EMT Dimza risked their own well being while trying to rescue victims from a multi-vehicle crash with full involved fire and critically injured victims trapped inside. These men worked valiantly to remove injured, trapped and unconscious patients from the fully involved vehicle fire, trying to extinguish the flames with a portable fire extinguisher from their ambulance and continuing their rescue efforts even after an explosion knocked Paramedic Yacula back many feet. Thanks to their swift and heroic actions several fatalities were avoided that day.

"Stars of Life" Awards were presented to longtime Department employees PCC William Barnett, PCC Jonathan Fueglein, PCC Joslyn Hampton and EMT Donald Jones.

Pictured from left to right are: Ned Fryer, EMT Donald Jones, PCC Joslyn Hampton, PCC William Barnett, and PCC Jonathan Fueglein.

"Lifesaving" Awards are presented to firefighters, paramedics and EMTs who arrive on a scene and find that someone is unconscious or has collapsed. They begin rescue breathing, CPR, shock the patient with a defibrillator and provide other necessary medical attention as needed, then the patient has return of spontaneous circulation.

Recipients of "Lifesaving" Awards at this year's ceremony were:

• Paramedics Christine Dooley and Bhavin Mehta
• Paramedic Crew Chief James Thompson, EMT Denise Travis, and Members of Engine 10B (Capt. Mark Chrun and Firefighters Irving Moorehead, Cedric Ross and Brad Gentry)
• EMTs John Munier and Dan McKelvey, Firefighter/EMT David Smith, and Members of Engine 8 (Capt. James Shepard, Firefighters Jeff Cawthon and Kevin Herdler and Firefighter/Paramedic Corey Meyer)
• Paramedic Eli Casey, EMT Darron Moorehead, and Members of Engine 10A (Capt. William Ellner, Firefighter Kenneth Green, Firefighter/Paramedic Tim Kirchoff and Firefighter/EMT Ryan Kriete)
• Firefighter William Wicker
• The crew of our Fire Boat: Capt. Jerome Lammert and Firefighters Jim Webber, Glen Koppang and Roger Meyer.
• Firefighters Mark Nagel, Jacob Brockmeir and Peter Perry
• Capt. Jim Deitrich
• Paramedic Thomas Marischen and EMT Mike Pingleton
• Paramedic Crew Chief Colin McCoy, EMTs Matt Sleet, Shawn Davis, and Members of Engine 20 (Capt. Charlie Hoffman, Firefighters Ned Alexander, Pete Selvey, Joe Ross and Firefighter/EMT Tim Miller  We mourn the loss of Firefighter/EMT Tim Miller, who drowned in the early morning hours of Memorial Day during a swim in the Lake of the Ozarks. Our deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.
• Capt. Jim Dietrich and Firefighter Chris Dandridge
• Firefighters George Anderson, Vince Monti, Mark Nagel and Jim Eaton
• Paramedic Crew Chief Jonathan Fueglein, Firefighter/EMT Jessica Jackson, and Members of Engine 29C (Ken Sturma, Ronald Jones, Matt Kotraba and Galen Taylor)
• Capt. John Brewer and Firefighters Tom Mindak and Lee Krauss
• Paramedic Supervisor Mark Sweaney, Paramedic Crew Chief Bill Miller and EMT Aaron Wiemann
• Paramedic Supervisor Ellen Tisell, Paramedic Matt Walton and EMT Chris Jenkerson
• Paramedic Bhavin Mehta and EMT Kathrine Green
• Firefighters Stanley Baynes, Kevin Busse, Thomas Mindak and Areon Clay

The final two awards of the ceremony went to Capt. Derrick Phillips for his work on the Smoke Detectors Save Lives campaign and to Cynthia Dixon and Capt. Phillips for their work on the FEMA Safer Grant.

Congratulations to all the award winners!