Heroic Actions Earn Newtown Firefighters Medal Of Valor Award

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — For their courageous actions, two Newtown Township firefighters received the fire service's Medal of Valor Award on Wednesday along with accolades from Newtown Township for saving the life of a Lower Makefield woman during a house fire in early February.

On Feb. 4, Newtown career firefighters Michael Bradshaw and Quinnten Jones rescued a woman from the second floor of a burning home in Lower Makefield's Farmview neighborhood. The woman had gone back inside the burning house to rescue the family's pets and became disoriented in the smoky conditions on the second floor.

Elen Snyder, the chairwoman of the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors, commended the firefighters for their "courageous act of bravery and dedication" in saving a human life.

"Their actions demonstrated exceptional skills, quick thinking, and an unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of our community," said Snyder reading a proclamation from the board of supervisors. "Their calm and decisive actions under difficult circumstances directly led to the saving of a Lower Makefield Township woman. We are deeply grateful for the heroism displayed."

As she concluded, the audience, which included a large turnout of firefighters from Newtown, Yardley-Makefield, and from companies around the county, applauded loudly for the career firefighters.

Newtown firefighters Quinnten Jones and Michael Bradshaw, center, accept recognition from members of the Yardley-Makefield Fire Company. From left: Assistant Chief 0 Adam Keister; Chief 0 Glenn Chamberlain; firefighter Jones; firefighter Bradshaw; Deputy Chief 0 Tim Chamberlain; and Assistant Chief 80 Bill Kanzler. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Newtown firefighters Quinnten Jones and Michael Bradshaw, center, with members of the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors. From left are Kyle Davis, John Mack, firefighters Jones and Bradshaw, chairwoman Elen Snyder, Dennis Fisher and Phil Calabro. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

The accolades continued as Chief Rick Gerhard, representing the Bucks County Fire Chiefs and Firefighters Association, presented the Medal of Valor Award to the two firefighters. The medal is the highest bestowed upon a firefighter, presented to those who have demonstrated exceptional courage, unwavering determination and selfless heroism in the most perilous situations.

"Your heroic actions on Feb. 4 resulted in a successful rescue of a victim who was located on the second floor of the well-involved dwelling. Congratulations on a job well done," Gerhard told the firefighters as Newtown Fire Rescue Chief Glenn Forsyth presented each firefighter with the award.

Tim Chamberlain, the deputy chief of the Yardley-Makefield Fire Company, joined Chief Glenn Chamberlain in presenting the firefighters with an enlarged photograph taken by Yardley-Makefield Fire Marshal Jeff Goldberg showing the two firefighters battling back a raging fire in the doorway to the Farmview home.

According to Chamberlain, as firefighters responded to Farmview Drive for a house fire two sanitation workers from McCullough Waste Disposal were in the area noticed the event unfolding and rendered their assistance. Both noticed a male occupant coming down the stairs in an electric chair lift and assisted in removing him from the house."

Within six minutes of the call, Chamberlain said firefighters Bradshaw and Jones from Newtown arrived on the scene and were advised by Lower Makefield Police that one of the female occupants had gone back inside to find the family dog.

"The enclosed deck attached to the back of the house was fully involved in fire with fire extending into the first and second floors of the house," said Chamberlain. "Firefighters Bradshaw and Jones entered the house and encountered heat from the fire, very little visibility on the first floor and zero visibility on the second floor. Firefighter Jones proceeded upstairs while Jones stayed on the first floor using a fire extinguisher in an attempt to keep the fire from going up the steps.

Firefighters Jones and Bradshaw attack the flames at the front door with hose lines. (Jeff Goldberg)

"Firefighter Jones, under zero visibility, located the woman and quickly moved her down the stairs while firefighter Bradshaw wrapped her and took her out of the front door," said Chamberlain.

"Firefighter Jones continued to search the second floor when firefighter Bradshaw yelled to him to quickly come down, that there was fire coming down the hallway toward the stairs. Both firefighters quickly exited the home moments before the fire spread up the stairs and blew out the window above the front door.

As firefighters Jones and Bradshaw were rescuing the occupants the crew from Newtown Rescue 45 secured a water supply and advanced handlines to the front and back of the house and began extinguishing the fire. Additional firefighters arrived and assisted with numerous other activities.

The woman who was rescued was taken to the hospital along with the other two occupants of the home for smoke inhalation. The female was transported to a specialty hospital in the city of Philadelphia due to her injuries. She was released a few weeks later and is recovering nicely.

The Yardley-Makefield Fire Company has a long history of working together with the members of the Newtown Fire Association and Newtown Fire Rescue," said Chamberlain. "We are proud to have these fellow brothers and sisters next to us and at a moment's notice are willing to protect our residents of Lower Makefield and Yardley Borough.

"We would like to express our sincere gratitude to firefighters Bradshaw and Jones for their courageous and lifesaving actions entering the home without the protection of a handline, using their training and skills to remove the female occupant just before the house became engulfed in fire," said Chamberlain. "Their actions changed the outcome of the incident without a loss of life.

Chamberlain also presented a special unit citation to the crew of Newtown Fire Rescue 45 for their swift actions that occurred with the house fire that day. Your actions that day changed the outcome of this incident."

The last to speak was Newtown Fire Rescue Chief Glenn Forsyth who commended the two firefighters and everyone in the room wearing a uniform. "These two guys and everyone you see tonight in this uniform, they put their lives on the line every time they go out on the truck.

"To Michael Bradshaw and Quinnten Jones, I congratulate you," he said. "It is an honor to be their chief. And to be the chief for Newtown. It is a privilege to serve. I commend you two gentlemen. You do great work. And I commend everyone in this room who is wearing the uniform."

Members of the Yardley-Makefield Fire Company present a unit citation to the crew of Newtown Rescue 45. (Jeff Werner/Patch)