CITATION OF COURAGE AND VALOR
This extraordinary citation is in recognition of a special act of courage and Valor performed by the below members of the Riverton Volunteer Fire Department as an exceptional act of bravery, fortitude and skill,and for performing actions above and beyond the call of duty with courage in the face of great personal danger
No man can render greater service than that he risk his life to save that of another or that he put aside his own wellbeing to provide unselfishly an act of particular and special service to his fellow man.
DR. DOUG MCLEAN
1965
Under Construction
PRESENTED TO
LARRY DAVID & BILL LACEY
1968
Fire engulfed a work over rig South-east of Riverton when Firemen Larry David and Bill Lacey in Rescue Unit #1 arrived on the scene. Fire had driven other crewmen back from the flaming rig with the truck and wellhead covered by flames. Firemen David and Lacey could see a man ling next to the well floor. On the chance he might be alive, Lacey, using a small 20 pound extinguisher blew the fire back as David ran in the fire zone and pulled the body out of the flames. In the belief that if there is a prayer or chance that a man’s life might be spared, David and Lacey risked thiers, throwing caution to the wind, to bring the man’s body out from the fire.
Presented to
LARRY L. LEE
1968
For Rescuing a smaller fireman who was about to be swept underneath a pile of dreftwood in the swift channel of the Big Wind River.
The Incident occurred the day the body of a drowned boy was recovered. Three Fire Department boats were anchored in the open channel. One small boat slipped into a violent current in the deep channel and was swept toward a downed log. The boat capsized as it hit the driftwood, throwing the fireman out. Lee ran across a sandbar, anchored himself against a log in water up to his armpits, and pulled the floundering man to safety. The boat came up 60 feet down stream. Despite the Icy water which sucks away a man's breath, Lee had the strength to pull his fellow fireman to safety.
PRESENTED TO
MELVIN FAUSSET
1972
At 2:30 p.m. on the 19th of May, 1971, while Firemen Fausset was working at his place of business; his neighbor rushed in with her baby who had quit breathing apparently from a particle lodged in its throat.
Fireman Fausset immediately took charge of the situation and applied mouth to mouth resuscitation which dis-lodged the particle. Due to his quick thinking, skill and courage Fireman Fausset was responsible for the full recovery of the Infant.
PRESENTED TO:
JIM JUVE
1974
On January 6th, 1974 at 6:55 p.m. Fireman and E.M.T. Jim Juve responded to a Rescue Alarm riding Engine Company 6. Firemen had arrived on scene at a major auto accident 5 miles north of Riverton.
Firemen found subject in an overturned automobile not breathing and dead. After firemen extricated subject from automobile Firemen Jim Juve using training and skill established an airway and performed Cardio pulmonary resuscitation (C.P.R.) until the subjects breathing returned . This subject was admitted to Riverton Memorial Hospital breathing on his own. Medical authorities believe that because of the skill and efforts of Fireman Juve subject is alive and still alive to this date.
PRESENTED TO
KIM LEE & BRAD MCLEAN
1976
On the morning of November 27th, 1976 at 6:13 a.m. the Riverton Fire Department was called to a house fire at 902 East Park Avenue. Upon arriving at the scene firemen were advised by the police that the occupant was still inside of the of the house. Without any regard to their personal safety Firemen Brad McLean and Kim Lee entered the smoke filled house. The two firemen searched each room and found the victim unconscious in the doorway of the bedroom. They immediately removed her from the house and Fireman Lee began administering Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (C.P.R.) in the hope that there was still some spark of life left. The victim was transported to the hospital by Fremont County Ambulance but was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Dennis Hutchins
1981
UNDER CONSTRUCTION::
PRESENTED TO
Matt Lee
2010
Fire Chief Matt Lee was assisting with the fire investigation at the site of a previous structure fire, when an emergency alarmed at 2105 hours January 26th, 2010, for a single motor vehicle accident with injuries at the intersection of Major’s Avenue and Cooper Road and that the occupants were reported to be trapped inside the vehicle and it was on fire.
Chief Lee responded directly to the call and ordered a Tanker that was assisting with the investigation to also respond to the alarm. As Chief Lee arrived on scene he observed a passenger car that had collided with a large tree and had flames shooting out of the engine compartment. He quickly approached the flaming vehicle and observed two male adults trapped inside.
Chief Lee then forced the passenger door open and saw the the unconscious passenger was a very large man weighing over 350 pounds and was slumped over towards the driver side of the vehicle. At ths time two citizens arrived on scene with a fire extinguisher and unsuccessfully tried to contain the fire as the extinguisher was too small and the fire was quickly growing. Chief Lee immediately grabbed the victim by the upper body and with great difficulty pulled him from the car. At this time Chief Lee and another citizen dragged the unconscious man to a paved road 25 feet away.
Noticing that the fire was quicly growing and starting to spread into the passenger compartment of the vehicle , Chief Lee quickly ran to the driver’s side of the car and forced the door open. Seeing that the unconscious driver’s arms were entangled in the steering wheel, Chief Lee quickly freed the driver’s arms, and as smoke filled the compartment and flames bursts from the dash board area, he grabbed the injured driver by his upper body and was able to pull him out of the car and dragged him to the paved road and safety where he provided Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (C.P.R.) to the Passenger of the car until the First Ambulance arrived.
Both victims were transported to the hospital where the driver required extensive medical treatment and survived, and the passenger later succumbed to the massive injuries that were caused by the accident.