Owensboro Fire Chief Steven Mitchell awarded four men the Owensboro Fire Department Life Saving Award Monday afternoon at a ceremony at Fire Station 1.
Lieutenant Brian Rowan and firefighters Ted Johnston, Jake Aull and Josh Sexton received pins that will be worn on their uniform for the entirety of their career for their heroic actions displayed during a Jan. 18, 2019 fire at Keystone Apartments.
According to Mitchell, a female resident of the apartment complex was preparing food on her stove and left the room for 5 minutes. When she returned, fire had engulfed the cabinets. She was able to get to safety, along with her children, and call for emergency help.
When OFD arrived on scene, the apartment was a fully-involved fire and the common attic of the apartment building, along with the shared roof was engulfed.
A second-floor resident was trapped in his apartment. Using a ladder truck, Lt. Rowan deployed a ground ladder to the balcony of the apartment and assisted in the victim’s safe escape through a window in his apartment. Firefighters Johnston, Aull and Sexton helped get the victim to the ground and perform life-saving procedures.
The male subject was transported to Owensboro Health Regional Hospital because of smoke inhalation, but was able to leave the hospital within a few days. The four OFD firefighters met the victim before his release from the hospital.
“Their actions are the reason he’s here,” Mitchell said. “This is a very proud moment for us.”
Mitchell said to receive the Life Saving Award, firefighters have to go into harm’s way to save a victim that is in imminent danger and have to be a part of saving that victim’s live until EMS arrives. Mitchell said these awards are rare, having only given out two in the last several years, he said.
“This is a huge event for them and the department,” he said.
