Valor Awards Given For Tropical Storm Lee Rescues

From Prince William County Fire Department: 

On Wednesday, March 28, Prince William Chamber of Commerce held their 26^th Annual Valor Awards Ceremony at Foxchase Manor in Manassas.  The ceremony honored the dedication and professionalism of public safety members who do an outstanding, yet often, thankless job, in keeping us safe and secure so we may continue with our daily lives.

Fire and rescue members of Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue Engine and Boat 517; Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire Department Rescue 502, Engine 502 and Engine 514; and Lake Jackson Volunteer Fire Department Boat 507 and Relief Boat 507 received the silver medal of valor -- the second highest award for bravery and heroism awarded in situations when a public safety official knowingly exposes himself/herself to great personal risk in the performance of an official act. 

During the evening of Sept. 8, 2011, Tropical Storm Lee battered the East Coast including Prince William County.  The 911 Call Center was flooded with a barrage of calls from the Route 1 Corridor on the eastern side of the county. Flood waters were descending upon several areas along the corridor trapping residents in their vehicles, homes and stores. In one incident, approximately 30 individuals were clinging to a fence as the water surged around them. 

In another incident, people were trapped on the roof of their vehicle as the waters continued to rise. Throughout the night, numerous fire and rescue units and swift water teams were dispatched to assist in rescuing and evacuating displaced residents to safety.

For maintaining order in a chaotic situation and working tirelessly as a single unit to secure the safety of residents, the Prince William Chamber of Commerce presented the Silver Medal of Valor to the following fire and rescue crews: 

Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue

• Engine 517/Boat 517
  • Captain James Paul
  • Lieutenant Brian Marks
  • Technician II Kendrick Terry
  • Technician I Helton Pereira 
• Relief Boat 507
  • Captain Brian Ferguson
  • Technician II Patrick Reubens
  • Technician I Michael Hendrickson
  • Technician I Trudy Dalton
  • Technician I Andrew Morris

Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire Department

• Rescue 502
  • Mike Nazionale
  • Tim Van Deusen
  • Jesus E. Castro
  • Luis A. Vitela
  • Firefighter Ryan Chinn
  • Firefighter Ryan Murphy 

Lake Jackson Volunteer Fire Department

• Boat 507
  • Assistant Chief Jim Bailey
  • Rescue Chief Tim Mahoney
  • Rescue Lieutenant Linda Button

Additional recipients of the Silver Medal of Valor were presented to the Prince William County Police Department and Manassas City Police Department. 

Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue Technician II Michael Moore and Technician I Blake Yowell received the Bronze Medal of Valor – awarded in situations where, during the course of an emergency, a public safety official demonstrates extraordinary judgment, ingenuity or performance of his/her duties.  This may include saving a life that is threatened by medical or physical reasons. 

On Oct. 6, 2011, fire and rescue units were dispatched to a townhouse fire in which the caller indicated their grandmother, who was unable to move on her own, became trapped on the third floor. Firefighters, upon arrival, observed smoke billowing from a third floor window. While crew members of Truck 514 proceeded to vent the roof from outside the structure, Technicians Moore and Yowell entered the burning home encountering zero visibility and extreme heat.  As the outside crew opened the roof, the smoke and heat dissipated enabling Moore and Yowell to continue their search and retrieve the victim. Once the victim was safely evacuated, Moore and Yowell reentered the structure and extinguished the fire.

For their coordinated and quick actions to rescue a resident trapped inside a burning home, Prince William Chamber of Commerce awarded the Bronze Medal of Valor to Technician II Michael Moore and Technician I Blake Yowell.

In addition, the Bronze Medal of Valor was awarded to the Virginia State Police.