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Papillion honors firefighters for three life‑saving responses
Summary
The Papillion City Council recognized multiple Papillion Fire Department members for exceptional actions in three recent incidents, including limb‑saving emergency care, infant airway removal, and a complex structural collapse rescue that led to several medals of valor and service.
Fire Chief Rob Gotch presented awards to multiple Papillion Fire Department personnel for three separate incidents in the past six months, praising their ‘‘professionalism, compassion, courage, and integrity.’’ Gotch singled out Firefighter Chris Hansen for an emergency response on 03/29/2026 in which Hansen identified compromised circulation in a 28‑year‑old patient’s right arm and took rapid measures that restored perfusion and helped preserve the limb.
Gotch also described a 07/02/2026 EMS call in which Firefighter Nick Carpenter responded to a choking 9‑month‑old infant. Carpenter performed back blows and suction, then identified and removed a small sticker lodged in the infant’s throat, after which the patient’s vitals returned to normal; Gotch credited the action with ‘‘professionalism and attention to detail.’’
The chief read a longer incident report from 07/09/2026 at 710 Donegal Drive where a large tree caused partial structural collapse of a two‑story residence. Crews from Engine 3, Med 3, Fire Car 3 and Truck 1 entered an unstable structure, breached an interior wall to reach a trapped resident and extricated the occupant. Gotch named the personnel involved and announced medals of valor and service for those who made interior rescues and for those who provided support and command functions.
Battalion Chief Jeremy Orr, who led the incident command during the July rescue, described arriving to a chaotic scene in adverse weather and credited law enforcement and mutual aid for helping secure the scene. ‘‘It took us 16 minutes to remove the victim,’’ Orr said, and he noted crews also rescued the home’s three dogs. Council members and the mayor thanked the crews for their service and congratulated the award recipients.
