Cherokee County
Fire & Emergency Services
Fire & Emergency Services
Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services (CCFES) recognized over forty firefighters at the Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday night. This presentation was part of a new Awards & Recognition program implemented by CCFES earlier this year. These awards were a result of the response to six different incidents over the past several years and included Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Lifesaver Awards and Unit Citations.
The first award presented was an EMS Lifesaver Award. This was presented to Sgt. Brandon Barton, Sgt. James Fox, Sgt. Chris King, Lt. Benjy Pearson, and Fire Apparatus Operator (FAO) Stephen Wilson. These firefighters were recognized for providing outstanding patient care that resulted in saving the life of another at Mauldin Park in Canton. The patient was transported to a hospital and made a full recovery.
Another EMS Lifesaver Award was presented to Lieutenant Nathan Croft, FAO Daniel Elrod, FAO Eric Lusk, FAO Trevor Newberry, Sgt. Stefan St. Peter, and FAO Jordan Walden. These firefighters were recognized for providing outstanding patient care that resulted in saving the life of another. The patient was transported to a hospital and made a full recovery.
The final EMS Lifesaver Award was presented to Sgt. Chris Brauda, Sgt. Ron Davis, FAO Marcus Haine, FAO Jordan Mabra, FAO Brody Miller, and Lt. Sid Williams. These firefighters were responding to a fire alarm in Lake Arrowhead when they diverted to a nearby call of a person down. They arrived to find a civilian performing CPR on their spouse. Engine 17 and Squad 9 provided advanced life support and resuscitated the patient. The patient returned a year later to Station 17 to meet and thank the crew.
The first Unit Citation was presented to Capt. Nathan Baum, Lt. Kevin Fox, Sgt. Josh Germon, Lt. Craig Henderson, FAO Michael Hood, and Sgt. Eric Parr. These firefighters responded to a residential structure fire and upon arrival they were made aware that a woman was trapped inside the burning home. Firefighters quickly made entry into the home to search for the victim, while other firefighters applied water to the fire. The search was made extremely difficult due to a partial collapse inside the home and propane tanks that were fueling the fire. Sgt. Eric Parr located the victim and with the help of the other firefighters the victim was successfully pulled from the burning home to safety. The crew quickly began treating the patient and transported her to the hospital where despite great efforts, she succumbed to her injuries. The patient’s daughter, Kansas Mathis, and granddaughter, Kennedy Mathis, attended the ceremony Tuesday night where the firefighters had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with them.
Another Unit Citation was presented to Capt. Donnie Arp, FAO Ryan Barker, FAO Daniel Elrod, and FAO Austin Wyatt. These firefighters were responding to a pediatric patient in cardiac arrest when they were involved in a head on collision. The crew showed no hesitation to continue their job. When most would have taken concern for themselves first, they never wavered from carrying out their duty by utilizing an on-scene Sheriff’s Deputy car to continue their response to the patient. Another squad responded to the scene and the crew transported the patient to a hospital. While still in the care of these firefighters, the patient was resuscitated.
The final Unit Citation was presented to Lt. Michael Sims, Sgt. Eddie Barajas, FAO Cody James, FAO Bonn Ellerbee, FAO Matthew Hickey, FAO Nathan Foye, Lt. Brenden Hicks, Lt. Randy Fifield, FAO William Osteen, FAO Marcus Hanie, FAO Deombre Jones, Captain Sarah Love, Division Chief Jamie McCord, and Battalion Chief Matt Richter. There firefighters responded to a call of multiple homes on fire in the Hidden Creek Subdivision. When firefighters arrived on scene, they found a working fire in five homes. It was because of these firefighters’ quick decisions during the early critical moments that set this incident up for success and kept fire from spreading throughout the neighborhood.
The recipients’ performance of our mission is in keeping with the finest traditions of the American fire service and reflects greatly upon themselves and Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services. We are proud to have them serving in our ranks and are grateful for the service they provide to CCFES and the citizens of Cherokee County.