Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Emergency Response topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue honors crews and citizens for life‑saving and meritorious actions
Summary
Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue presented four clinical excellence awards, a meritorious conduct commendation and two civilian chief’s medals at its Nov. 4 Board of Fire Commissioners meeting. Crews were recognized for rapid on‑scene care and coordinated rescues; two citizens were credited with preventing a house fire.
Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue on Nov. 4 recognized multiple firefighters and two members of the public for life‑saving and meritorious actions.
Division Chief Joe Shum told the Board of Fire Commissioners that Engine 40’s May 19 response to a cardiac arrest on the Truckee River Trail near Drockstar Park involved mechanical compressions, coordinated carryout and continued resuscitation en route; the patient had a pulse at the ambulance and “was walking and talking days later,” Shum said. Captain Randy Gates, Engineer Shiro, Firefighter‑Paramedics Rudder and Miller received a clinical excellence award for that incident.
Shum described three additional clinical excellence awards: a June 4 cardiac arrest involving Engine 33 that achieved return of spontaneous circulation before transport (acting Captain Mike Lambert, Engineer Gino Higman, Firefighter John Williams and Firefighter Jeff Bode); a July 17 response to a self‑inflicted gunshot in Hungary Valley where rapid on‑scene treatment and transport produced a pulse at the hospital (Captain Noe Henry, Engineer Shad Vatrock, Firefighter‑Paramedics Andrew Mann and Brian Keller, and EMT Austin Fotinos); and another July 17 cardiac‑arrest response where crew‑assisted CPR restored a pulse prior to transport (Captain David Kearns, Engineer Travis Johnson, Firefighter‑Paramedics Reynolds and Cameron Chappell). Shum said two of the patients later died at the hospital but that the crews’ immediate interventions were critical to the outcomes.
Firefighter EMT Juris Voskoski received a meritorious conduct commendation after a Sept. 7 vehicle fire on Interstate 80. Shum said Voskoski, who speaks Russian, translated for a driver on a car carrier hauling eight vehicles, guided the driver to safety and gathered documentation so crews could focus on fire suppression; no injuries occurred.
Shum also presented the chief’s medal of commendation to citizens Chris Paget and Brian McPhail for an Aug. 15 (reported as 09/15/2025 in the record) incident in Spanish Springs. Paget and McPhail hooked a burning vehicle to a tow strap, pulled it out from under a carport and used portable extinguishers to prevent the fire from extending into the house until Engine 46 arrived.
Chief Richard Edwards and board members applauded the awardees and noted the value of interagency cooperation; Edwards joined Shum in praising staff professionalism. The recognitions were ceremonial and informational; no board actions were required.
Ending: The board paused for photos after the presentations and planned follow‑up recognition for off‑duty personnel who performed lifesaving interventions.
