March 16, 2006

WRT Firefighters receive Medal of Valor

       Two White River Township firefighters received the state's top honor for their bravery after rescuing an elderly woman from her burning home last weekend.  Firefighters Michael Shoemaker, 36, and Jason Tibbetts, 30, both received the State Fire Marshal's Medal of Valor earlier today during a press conference held at White River Township's Fire Department Headquarters on Mullinix Road.  The ceremony was part of a full press conference by Indiana State Fire Marshal Roger Johnson that was prepared to educate the public on the dangers of fire and the need for families to develop escape plans and check smoke detectors.  This is all in response to a deadly rash of fires over the last two weeks in Indiana alone that has claimed nineteen lives.

         Shoemaker and Tibbetts responded as part of a crew of four, along with forty-seven other firefighters from three departments, to a report of a house fire with a person trapped.  They, along with Lieutenant Jeff Smith and Engineer Eric Wiseman, arrived to find an elderly woman trapped by heavy fire and thick, dense smoke in her bedroom.  The team of four, each charged with individual tasks under the direction of Lieutenant Smith, quickly gained access into the home by pushing furniture away that was stacked in front of the door they entered.   Shoemaker and Tibbetts, the two who were assigned to the rescue, are credited with rescuing the victim from the home within minutes under extreme conditions where the entire room was nearly engulfed.  The victim was brought down a ladder and was then rushed to the Wishard Burn Unit with extensive burns.  The environment inside the room where they found the victim was incredibly hot and actually melted and burned some of the protective clothing that Shoemaker and Tibbetts were wearing.  This caused them both to receive first and second-degree burns and Shoemaker additionally received some third-degree burns.  Both are expected to fully recover with no permanent injuries.

         Smith, Wiseman, Shoemaker, and Tibbetts are all assigned to Engine 52 operating out of the Meridian Parke Fire Station.  See a related story HERE.
    
 

---