The Fire-Rescue Commission
presented Valor Awards to six Firefighters at the County Council Meeting
Tuesday 7-July. Chairman LaVern Polk and Commissioner Doug Mixson made
the presentations during the meeting. The Valor Award is one of the
highest honors that can be bestowed on a firefighter. It is usually
awarded to personnel who perform a heroic act, such as placing their
life at risk to save another. Chief McRoy briefed council on the
events that transpired at this incident. In this incident, the
personnel placed their lives on the line to rescue an elderly man from a
burning residence. The rescue stemmed from a house fire at 202 Price
Street in the City of Walterboro. Medic 27, Battalion 1, Truck 111 and
Squad 27 arrived about three minutes ahead of City Engine 1. A citizen
verified the man was inside the burning structure. Without hesitation or
the protection of a hoseline, all six suited up and entered the building
through a rear door and began searching for the man. Within minutes,
flames blew out the front windows of the home making conditions inside
the structure increasingly more dangerous. Temperatures inside the
structure exceeded 1000 degrees as indicated by the Bullard Thermal
Imaging camera that failed during the rescue attempt. It was later
learned the device does not operate in
temperatures above 1000 degrees. The firefighters continued to search and found the man in the far back bedroom of the house, which was not where the bystanders indicated he was. The search lasted over 10 minutes.
City Engines 1, 2, and 3 arrived
during the rescue attempt and several hand lines were deployed. A line was
extended to the rear of the building for interior crews to use and the bulk
of the fire was knocked down when the man was located. He was extricated and
found to have a pulse, but was not breathing on his own. The rescuers,
immediately began resuscitative efforts in the front yard which included
IVs, medication and intubation. He was transported to Colleton Medical
Center but died later in the day.
Doctor Flowers, Council Chairman,
applauded the Firefighters efforts and stepped down from the dais to
personally shake each one’s hand.
Recipients of the Valor Awards were Firefighter-Paramedics, John Matthews and Steve Sanders, Lieutenant Joey Campbell, Captain Scott Feather, Battalion
Chief Dan Barb and Asst. Chief David Greene. This was the second Valor Award issued to Captain Feather, who along with other crew members, successfully rescued two children from a burning house two years ago.
Below is a picture of the House Fire that occurred on Price Street on March 25, 2009
