12-08-14 Regular Meeting of La Porte City Council

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On June 18, 2013 La Porte Fire and EMS were dispatched to a major accident at the intersection of Hwy 225 and Hwy 146. The report was that an eighteen wheeler had overturned on the interchange elevated roadway and had fallen to the feeder road below. The first arriving unit reported that there was a visible gas release from the overturned eighteen wheeler that had fallen and that there was a patient visibly trapped in the wreckage. There was also brush on fire approximately fifty yards from the wreck. This scene scenario. The situation at hand was a perfect storm of the elements needed to have a very large explosion and certain loss of life for the two patients that were trapped in the truck. These firefighters entered the hazard area, found both occupants of the truck that were unable to remove themselves and carried them to the awaiting paramedics outside of the hazard area. EMS took over treatment and the patients were flown to trauma centers. At last report, both patients were recovering from their injuries. to make a decision about whether to act or back away. This was one of those situations and on this day in June, five responders made the decision to act. Training and sheer determination drove these five individuals to place themselves at risk of injury or even death, to save the lives of two truck drivers. For this heroic act, the La Porte Fire Department awarded Vanessa Villafuerte, Antonio Elko, Ronnie Thibodeaux, Tyler McElroy, and Daniel West with the Fire Department Medal of Valor. Please join me in congratulating these firefighters for their outstanding and brave performance in the line of duty.