Kokomo honors firefighters for Feb. 11 rescue and swears in three recruits

Kokomo City on Tuesday honored local firefighters and partner medical crews for a Feb. 11, 2026 rescue that restored a patient to health and swore in three new department recruits.

The ceremony recognized members of the Kokomo Fire Department, crews from Community Howard, Stat Flight and St. Vincent’s burn team for locating and stabilizing an unconscious occupant identified in remarks as Sam Gordon and transferring him for advanced care. Chief Stackhouse presented life‑saving awards and singled out K9 Rosie, saying the dog forced entry through two doors to reach the victim.

“Recognizing the critical nature of the situation, the firefighters acted swiftly and decisively,” Chief Stackhouse said as he read the award citation outlining the department’s response and the coordinated handoff to EMS.

Ryan Mix, introduced as a liaison officer with St. Vincent, praised the community’s integrated response and thanked city and county leaders for supporting emergency services. “We have a robust community here in terms of people who are committed to doing this,” Mix said.

Dr. Jeffrey Gibbs, identified as a burn surgeon and chair of the burn program, described the long‑term impact of burn injuries and urged continued training. “You are able to get someone back to healthy and healed, return them to their loved ones,” Gibbs said, adding that such rescues reflect collaboration across agencies.

Award recipients named during the ceremony included Michael Osborne, Ryan Wells (noted as the American Legion Firefighter of the Year), Andrew Domas, Tom Abney, Jordan Bass, David Carver, Mason Davis, Daltton Clark, Sydney Moon, Amelia Ferguson and John Moore. The presenters also credited Stat Flight with transporting the patient to Indianapolis; the patient was later identified in remarks as Wesley Stout.

Organizers then swore in three new firefighters. Mayor Tyler Moore welcomed the recruits and thanked their families for the sacrifices involved in firefighting. Kaden Bartley, introduced as a third‑generation firefighter; Braden Schae, described as a lateral hire; and Wesley Smith, introduced as the first career firefighter in his family, each recited the oath to support the U.S. and Indiana constitutions and to faithfully discharge duties as firefighters of the Kokomo Fire Department. Training Chief Jason Eller presented badges to the new firefighters.

The event closed with a benediction and an invitation to refreshments at Station 1.

No formal votes or policy actions were taken at the ceremony.