September 1, 2017 — Crews from the Prince George’s County, MD, Fire Department (Forestville and Morningside volunteer fire departments) as well as crews from the Wilmington, DE, Fire Department share top honors for the 2016 Firehouse Unit Citation Awards, which are part of Firehouse’s larger awards program, the Valor & Community Service Awards.
Prince George’s County, MD, Fire Department
PGFD Forestville Paramedic Ambulance 823 and Morningside Rescue Squad 827 are recognized for their brave actions during a welfare check incident on April 15, 2016. Upon forcing entry to the home, the occupant opened fire, striking Firefighter-Paramedic John Ulmschneider and Volunteer Firefighter Kevin Swain. Ulmschneider retreated to his unit and was taken to the nearest hospital. With Swain injured and still in the line of fire, Volunteer Captain David Riley and Volunteer Firefighter Shaquita Livingston pulled Swain to safety. Both Riley and Livingston sustained injuries in the process. Swain spent weeks recovering from his injuries. Tragically, Ulmschneider died at the hospital.
Wilmington Fire Department
Wilmington units Engine 1, Skyboom 2, Squad 4, Engine 5, Squrt 3, and Ladders 1 and 2 are recognized for their actions during a basement fire on Sept. 24, 2016. With reports of occupants trapped, Ladder 2 Lt. Christopher Leach and Firefighter Joseph Ryan made entry via the front door. Engine 1 Lt. Eric Haley and Firefighter Brad Speakman with Engine 5 Lt. John Cawthray and Firefighter Ardythe Hope knocked the fire down and advanced into the house on the first floor. Squad 4 Lt. Burton Tyson and Firefighters Vinnie Denisio and Jacob Craig went to the front of the house to begin searches with Ladder 2, while Squad 4 Firefighters Jerry Fickes and Terry Tate reported to the rear of the house. A catastrophic collapse of the living room floor then occurred, sending Leach, Speakman and Hope into the fully involved basement. Tate and Fickes entered the basement to rescue the trapped members, while Tyson, Denisio and Craig began to knock down the fire and get to the trapped members. Craig was able to grab Speakman and pull him up from the basement and out the front door. Fickes and Tate located Leach in the basement and began to move him toward the rear basement entrance. A second collapse then occurred, bringing the dining room and kitchen area flooring, furniture and appliances down on top of all three. Tate was removed immediately. Crews found Fickes unconscious and in cardiac arrest, and then found Hope. Speakman, Fickes and Hope were transported to a hospital. Leach was eventually located in the rear half of the basement. His body was removed and transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Fickes and Hope succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. Speakman suffered second- and third-degree burns over 60 percent of his body.
Firehouse Editor-in-Chief Tim Sendelbach underscored that both nominations highlight the extreme and evolving hazards faced by firefighters around the nation—hazards that claimed the lives of fellow firefighters: “In honor of the members lost, Firehouse is proud to recognize the actions taken by each of the nominated crews in the response and rescue operations of one of their own. These men and women performed their duties with bravery and courageous actions representative of the highest traditions of the American fire service.”
Both departments will receive a cash award for the honor and will be featured in the October issue of Firehouse Magazine.
The other top Unit Citation honorees are as follows:
- Second place: South Metro Fire Rescue (Centennial, CO) – Battalion Chief 34, Battalion Chief 41, Medic 41, Engine 43, Medic 44, Tower 45, Special Operations, Safety 33
- Third place: Monroe, OH, Fire Department – Engine 61, Engine 62, Tower 61
- Fourth place: San Diego Fire-Rescue Department – La Jolla Lifeguards
- Fifth place: West Hempstead, NY, Fire Department – Chiefs 7600, 7601, 7602; Engine 763; Ladder 765
- Sixth place: Smithtown, NY, Fire Department
Crews from 18 other departments are recognized as honorable mentions in this category.
To read more about the honorees in this year’s Valor & Community Service Awards, visit firehouse.com/valor-awards.
Firehouse would like to thank the 2016 Valor Awards Program corporate sponsors: 5.11 Tactical, Aladtec, Alert-All, Blackinton, Circul-Air, CMC Rescue, eDispatches.com, Fire Station Outfitters, Fol-Da-Tank, Liberty Art Works, the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs, Paratech, Phenix Technologies, and Waterway Cooperative. Their support and generosity help us honor America’s Bravest.
About the Firehouse Valor & Community Service Awards
The Firehouse Valor & Community Service Awards is the largest awards program of its kind in the fire service. Nominations for the awards open each year in January, with submissions due in April. To have your department’s acts of valor or community service considered for an award, please e-mail [email protected].
About Firehouse
Firehouse is the leading fire and emergency services brand, reaching more than 1 million unique visitors and subscribers monthly, and thousands of attendees annually, via its live events and media portfolio. The Firehouse brand encompasses Firehouse Magazine, Firehouse.com, Firehouse Expo, Firehouse World, Firehouse Station Design Conference and Awards, and a host of print and digital products targeting fire and emergency services personnel. Utilizing its multiple platforms and unparalleled reach, Firehouse sets itself apart from the competition by fostering a culture that encourages innovation and the use of the latest digital and database technologies to best serve its audience and companies serving the marketplace.
