Firefighters and Police Officers recognized at City Council meeting
At Tuesday night’s Grand Prairie City Council meeting, City Manager Tom Hart recognized several Firefighters and Police Officers for their outstanding actions in conjunction with two separate incidents involving sick individuals.
Firefighter Chad Hill was named the city’s employee of the month for his work that saved the life of a critically ill person.
On January 7, Hill was assigned to an ambulance at fire station #3 when he and his partner Jason Laman were dispatched to a call that a woman was chocking.
Upon arrival, Hill and Laman began CPR on the patient, but the patient’s airway was blocked. After all attempts to clear the airway were unsuccessful, Hill followed Fire Department failed airway protocol and performed a surgical procedure called Cricothyrotomy. The surgery involved making an incision at the base of the throat to establish an airway.
Clif Nelson, Fire Chief, said Hill performed the surgical Cricothyrotomy perfectly under highly stressful conditions.
Chief Nelson went on the recognize all the firefighters at the scene, Lt. Gary Mitchell, David Lane, Chris Rogers, Jeremy Jurik, Jared Tadlock, Chance Maxwell, and Derek Townsend for their outstanding team work at this difficult and stressful call.
Hart also recognized Firefighter Joel Anderson and Police Officers Ed Bylotus and Frank Obudo for their work in helping an ill person whose motorized chair’s batteries ran down.
A citizen contacted Hart commending the trio for their actions getting the elderly man who suffered from Parkinson’s disease home.
Initially, Anderson, Bylotus, and Obudo could not locate a caretaker to take charge of the man. With the help from Lydia Castro interpreting, the Spanish speaking patient gave information about the location of a family member who was contacted.
Officers Obudo and Bylotus dismantled the motorized chair, and put it in Officer Bylotus’ squad car. He transported the man to his residence, stayed with him until an adult caretaker could arrive, and made sure the man took his medication.
