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Firefighter/EMT Justin Jarvis won the Gene Bare Fireman of the Year award at the Lexington Fire Department’s annual awards banquet on Feb. 11.
Other top award winners that evening included Lt. Larry Clemmer, the J. Henry Sorrels Officer of the Year; EMT Ryan Carpino, the Weldon Tolley EMS Provider of the Year; firefighter/ medic Wes Harlow, the Alton Swink Outstanding Fireman; and EMT Chris Haskett, the Arthur Wallace Rookie of the Year. - EMS awards for cardiac arrest saves went to the crews on eight different calls. Those crews were as follows: Crew: EMT Chase Calhoun, FF/medic Justin Cheatham, Lt. Jarrod Hill, FF/EMT Devin Jennings, and FF/medic Thomas Robertson.
Crew: FF/medic Nick Shifflett, FF/medic Justin Cheatham, Lt. Jarrod Hill, Rescue 2 members, Lifeguard 12 crew.
Crew: EMT Chase Calhoun and FF/medic Justin Cheatham along with Co. 1 EMS Summer Clemmer, and Rockbridge County Fire Rescue Travis Cox.
Crew: FF/medic Thomas Robertson, EMT Chase Calhoun, and FF/EMT Stephen Decoster.
Crew: FF/medic Nicholas Shifflett, FF/EMT Jonathan Bowden, and Lt. Larry Clemmer.
Crew: FF/medic Thomas Robertson, FF/EMT Bryan Emrey, and EMT Ryan Carpino, and Rescue 17 crew.
Crew: FF/medic Wes Harlow, FF/EMT Jonathan Bowden, Lt. Larry Clemmer, FF/EMT Justin Jarvis, and FF/medic James Schindler. This call had the bystander who started CPR, the patient’s niece, who was recognized at the banquet with a lifesaving award.
Crew: FF/medic Thomas Robertson, FF/EMT Devin Jennings, and EMT Chris Haskett. - Three unit citations were also awarded at the banquet for the response to three different calls.
The first call response recognized was to a motor vehicle accident and brush fire on June 27 on Furrs Mill Road. When firefighters arrived, they found a patient ejected from the car with the car on fire beside the patient, a significant brush fire and downed power lines blocking access to the scene.
The ambulance crew made access and began triage of the occupants involved, extinguished the car fire by water can, and with combined efforts of Kerrs Creek firefighters and the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office, established a landing zone in a neighboring subdivision. The Lexington firetruck crew, meanwhile, worked to extinguish the brush fire.
“Crews on scene were able to extinguish all fires and provide exceptional care until the arrival of additional units to transport all patients. This call based on findings upon arrival, and performance of all crew members, is worth recognition,” according to the citation.
Recognized for their response to the Furrs Mill Road incident were Lt. Larry Clemmer, Jonathan Bowden, Dustin Emore, Wes Harlow, Justin Jarvis, Lucas Whitman, Lynne Black and Deputy Chief Trent Roberts. - The second unit citation went to those who responded to a motor vehicle accident, with entrapment, on Jan. 6, 2022, on Collierstown Road.
Fire and rescue personnel arrived to find a pickup truck into a tree on the side of the road. One victim outside of the vehicle was standing and a second patient heavily entrapped in the passenger seat. The medic crew split to begin patient care for both patients.
The person who was entrapped was experiencing a life-threatening injury with an open femur fracture and had lost a large amount of blood. Tourniquets were applied to control the bleeding until the truck could be cut and the dash removed from his lap. “The personnel working the scene worked as a team and were able to make a complicated extrication and a hectic scene with very boisterous bystanders go very smoothly,” according to the citation.
The right side of the truck was cut away and the dash was raised in order to remove the patient. The patient was then transported to the hospital by ambulance since the weather prevented any helicopters from flying to the scene.
Recognized for their response on this call were Lt. Nick Ramsey, Matt Spencer, Mark McLeod, Nickie Chittum, Jeremy Nicely, Shane Watts, James Squires, Kevin Squires and Stephen Decoster.
- The third unit citation was for those who responded to a call for a person with chest pains. Upon arrival, rescuers found the patient in the floor and in severe pain.
EMTs Ray Owen and Chittum loaded the patient and called for a medic. Firefighter Matt Spencer and Lt. Nick Ramsey also responded to the call and assisted during transport.
“Many challenges were overcome to obtain any information or signs of what the issue may be,” read the citation. “All avenues that were explored by the team did not reveal the issue. What we did know was the fact that the patient was sick and needed a higher level of care. Air medical services were requested. This call was also recognized by Carilion Clinic for the Horizon award due to the fact that the crew kept trying to find a solution in what ultimately saved this patient’s life.”
LEXINGTON FIRE CHIEF Ty Dickerson presents a unit citation award to (from left) Wes Harlow, Dustin Emore, Lucas Whitman, Jonathan Bowden, Justin Jarvis and Lynne Black for their response to an incident on Furrs Mill Road last June. The award was one of three unit citations presented at last month’s awards banquet.
