NASHVILLE, Tenn. --
The Nashville Fire Department had its annual commendation ceremony Tuesday in Nashville.
In a room full of people who abandoned their own safety to save a life, there were four who were honored by their Nashville Fire Department family.
These men -- engineer Richard Uselton, Capt. David Doughten, engineer James Laster and firefighter paramedic Jay Cohen -- are part of the team that saved Sgt. Mark Chesnut's life when he was shot several times last month on the interstate during a routine traffic stop.
"I was probably as scared as he was, and I've been doing this job for 33 years," said Cohen.
After years of dealing with tragic endings, Cohen was hoping that day that Chesnut's life wouldn't end there on Interstate 40.
"I looked at him, and I just said -- my knees were knocking -- and I said, 'Sergeant, it's not happening today.' I said, 'Not on my watch.' And I was hoping that gave him a little hope," said Cohen, who was the first firefighter paramedic to touch Chesnut that day. "Then I just went into professional mode and started treating him."
"I went into the mode of trying to help as much as I could and pray and try to get Sgt. Chesnut back to recovery," said Doughten.
All of these men have been saving lives for years. They said the day they faced Chesnut's emergency, they were just another day on the job.
While they haven't seen Chesnut, a father of four ,since the day they helped save his life, the group can't wait to see him again.
Fire officials said Chestnut wanted to make it to Tuesday's ceremony, but his doctors advised against it.
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