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Mount Pleasant honors four firefighters for highway extrication that saved a motorist
Summary
Deputy Chief Ristio Rodriguez, Captain Adam Decker, Driver Phil Fry and Firefighter Aaron Williams received life‑saving medals Aug. 19 for rescuing a woman trapped in a burning vehicle on March 28, 2025, after an extended extrication.
The Mount Pleasant City Council recognized four members of the Mount Pleasant Fire Department on Aug. 19 with life‑saving medals for an extrication and rescue following a vehicle crash and fire on March 28, 2025.
Chief McRae described the March response: Engine 2 from B shift, staffed by Captain Adam Decker, Driver Phil Fry and Firefighter Aaron Williams, responded to a vehicle on its side with the driver trapped and the engine compartment fully involved. Deputy Chief Ristio Rodriguez also responded and extrication was begun after the fire was suppressed.
Chief McRae said hydraulic cutters and a hydraulic ram were used to remove the roof and push the dash away from the trapped leg; makeshift measures — two bed sheets tied together and secured to the vehicle — held the patient's weight while rescuers cut the seat belt. After being freed, the driver was placed on a backboard and moved to EMS/DPS personnel and an ambulance.
Chief McRae praised the crew's experience, noting the four responders totaled 94 years of service and saying, "Basically, these guys know what to do without talking to each other. When they get there, they start to work." The council presented life‑saving medals to Deputy Chief Ristio Rodriguez, Captain Adam Decker, Driver Phil Fry and Firefighter Aaron Williams.
No formal vote was required for the presentation; the council moved on to routine business after the recognition.
