The Rahway Fire department recently presented awards for three separate incidents which involved the saving of lives.
On June 19, 2014 Battalion Chief Clifford Schlosser Acting Captain Andrew Marchica, Firefighters Pete Fiore and James Thornton were dispatched to 230 E. Grand Ave. to help an unconscious female. Upon arrival the patient was not breathing. The Fire Fighters /EMT’s immediately began CPR used their defibrillator and a heart rhythm was established and a life was saved. These four firefighters received the Rahway Fire Department’s Unit Award for their actions.
On March 5, 2015 Captain Michael Sandhorst, Firefighter / Emt’s Keith Ferriaolo and Javier Gonzalez were dispatched on Eng # 3 to assist the First Aid Squad in gaining access to the residence. The dispatcher reported that the patient had extreme shortness of breath. The patient’s condition rapidly declined and the Eng # 3’s crew was asked to assist in the removal of the patient. The patient coded and firefighters Ferriaolo and Gonzalez assisted the First Aid Squad and medics in CPR until a pulse was regained. Shortly after the patient again coded and CPR was re-initiated and a pulse was again re-gained. Firefighter Ferriaolo rode in the back of the ambulance and once again performed CPR on the patient to resume a pulse. Captain Sandhorst Firefighters Ferriaolo and Gonzalez received the Rahway Fire Department’s Unit Award for their actions.
On April 5, 2015- Easter Sunday the duty crew was dispatched at 14:16 hours to 446 W. Grand Ave. (Korean United Methodist Church). There was a reported roof collapse and fire with victims trapped. Upon arrival it was a chaotic scene with numerous victims injured and/or traumatized. A very large section of the ceiling had collapsed in the church sitting area. Arriving companies were ordered by Incident Commander Battalion Chief Daryl Rutter to do a primary search which was negative. What was initially thought to be smoke was extreme dust from the ceiling collapse. Advanced Life Support and Basic Life Support task forces established a triage unit in which 13 people went to RWJ Hospital and 1 patient was transported to University Hospital in Newark. Eng # 5 ‘s crew Capt. William Kiger, Firefighters Keith Ferriaolo and Javier Gonzalez surveyed the area for additional hazards. Truck # 10’s crew Acting Captain Scott McCarthy and Firefighter Gerald Vaughn secured the utilities and successfully shut off the electric and gas in the structure. Eng # 3’s crew Acting Captain Richard Eger, firefighters Willard Jacobs and Jon Coyne established a water supply and stretched a hand line to the front door. For their heroic actions these Firefighters received the Rahway Fire Department’s Unit Award.
Firefighters Andrew Marchica and James Thornton
Firefighters Willard Jacobs, Gerald Vaughn, Rich Eger, Javier Gonzalez, Captain Michael Sandhorst, and Battalion Chief Daryl Rutter
