Bravery gets noticed/ Fire department recognizes heroic acts at

Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Jan 14, 2001 by Anslee Willett

Brian Ruddy was driving on Union Boulevard on Oct. 23 when another car lost control, landing upside down suspended in midair between a car and a utility shed.

The couple was trapped inside. The driver was bleeding, the shed could have collapsed.

Ruddy pulled the driver out of the car, then put the man over his shoulder and carried him up an embankment. He went back to calm the man's wife and get her out.

Ruddy, 28, was one of many people commended Saturday night for bravery by the Colorado Springs Fire Department at its annual awards banquet at the Doubletree World Arena Hotel.

"Our firefighters know heroism, so it's pretty significant when firefighters recognized that in other people," Colorado Springs Fire Chief Manuel Navarro said of the civilians receiving awards.

Others deemed heroes included: a high school student who helped a friend who was choking; three men who rescued a 10-year-old boy from a drainage ditch rapidly filling with water; and a man who helped a stabbing victim.

Firefighters also were recognized for various services.

"In most cases, firefighters are difficult to recognize because they don't want to be recognized," Navarro said. "In most cases, they'll just tell you it's their job."

Award recipients

COMMUNITY SERVICE

1. Bob Hamlin and Sally Walker, helped develop and sing the fire department's education CD, "The Safety Hop."

2. Hot Times/Cool Cars Auto Show in Arvada, a fund-raiser for the Children's Hospital Burn Unit: Don Hekkers, Steve Dubay, Carolyn Frick, Julie and DJ Kiselich, Daryl Ritz, Mark Romero, Cary Sloan, Rock Snowden, Mark Sperry, Christy Gaber, Norm Stevenson and Rick Martinez.

The group raised $82,000 last year, the most in a single year.

CITIZEN LIFESAVING

Shaun Underhill, performed the Heimlich maneuver on his choking friend during lunch at Mitchell High School.

Andrew "Drew" Michaels, performed the Heimlich maneuver on a man who was choking and performed CPR when the man had no pulse. The man survived.

Brenda Spade and Tony Aurelio, woke a woman in the basement of a burning house and helped her get to safety.

Michael Lucero, helped a man who fell 30 feet at Cheyenne Canyon and was seriously injured by applying pressure to his wounds and wrapping his jacket around him to avoid shock.

Jarod Koscielicki (lifesaving), KC Barber (lifesaving) and Ivan Flowes (heroism), helped rescue a 10-year-old boy from a drainage ditch during a swift-moving rainstorm.

CITIZEN HEROISM

Brian Ruddy, rescued a couple trapped in their upside-down car.

Ralph Black, helped a man stabbed in the chest, arm and leg by taking his shirt off and using it to apply direct pressure to the wounds.

OUTSTANDING UNIT OF THE YEAR

The Colorado Springs Fire Safety Troupe: Steve Schopper, Christy Gaber, Richie Rexach, Julie Kieslich, Steve Dubay, Fred Salazar and Mike Dalton.

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE

Jeff Sievers, a paramedic with the fire department who is also a Hazmat and SWAT team paramedic and a member of the computer task force.

Dr. Marilyn Gifford, physician adviser for the department for more than 20 years who is also director of the Memorial Emergency Department and serves on many local and national committees.

Juliet Draper, a paramedic with the department who became the champion in the International Firefighter Challenge last year in Las Vegas.

Ron Sprouse, driver with the department commended for his work with the Hazardous Material Program. He is the first person in the fire department's history to win all three major awards: Medal of Valor, Firefighter of the Year and Medal of Distinguished Service

FIREFIGHTER OF THE YEAR

Lt. Joe Tafoya, known for trying to give credit to others for what he has done, designed and built storage racks for the fire stations and was one of the organizers for the Fallen Firefighters Memorial.