The Bellefontaine Fire Department recognized several community members Tuesday during a short but meaningful ceremony.
Fire Chief Brian Wilson presented the recognitions in front of friends and family at the fire department.
Chief Wilson opened the ceremony by sharing the Webster definition of a hero:
“A person admired for great courage, achievements, and noble qualities, often showing great bravery in danger.” He said each honoree embodied that definition through their actions.
Teens Recognized for Alerting Homeowner to Fire
The first recognition stemmed from an incident on May 26, Memorial Day weekend.
Two teenage boys were walking with family members to watch the Memorial Day parade when they noticed smoke coming from behind a home at 616 Oakwood Drive.
Initially believing it could be a grill or smoker, the teens decided to investigate further and discovered the back porch was on fire.
They immediately called 911 and began knocking on the doors.
The homeowner, Patricia Forsythe, heard the knocking and realized her house was on fire, allowing her to escape without injury.
Fire officials later determined the fire had started in the attic and had been burning for some time.
Investigators said the fire could have grown significantly had the teens not taken action.
Chief Wilson comments about the award:
Bystander CPR Saves Man’s Life
Another award was presented for lifesaving actions on May 5th, when Bellefontaine medics were dispatched to a local business for a man having a seizure.
Dispatch later advised the man was not breathing, and CPR was underway.
Medics arrived to find the patient unresponsive and blue in color, with CPR being performed by Steve Fields.
Fields told responders he heard a loud crash when the man fell into a metal shelving unit, found him unresponsive, and immediately began CPR.
Chief Wilson noted that a person’s chance of survival decreases by about 10 percent for every minute CPR is delayed.
The patient received five defibrillator shocks and advanced life support treatment while being transported to Mary Rutan Hospital.
He was later transferred to Columbus for further care and released several days later.
He has since returned to normal daily life.
Lifeguards Earn LifeSaver Award
The final recognition involved an incident on July 2 at the Bellefontaine City Pool.
Crews were dispatched for a report of a male swimmer who was either not breathing or had a possible spinal injury.
A medical helicopter was placed on standby.
Lifeguards noticed the man floating face down in the pool, activated their emergency response plan, entered the water, and removed him from the pool.
The patient was blue in color and had water coming from his mouth.
Lifeguards placed him in the recovery position and applied an AED until EMS arrived.
While being treated in the ambulance, the patient began talking and answering questions.
He was transported to Mary Rutan Hospital and later released following additional treatment.
Although CPR was not required, Chief Wilson elevated the recognition to a LifeSaver Award, saying the lifeguards’ actions directly resulted in saving a life.
Those honored included:
- Ally Barker
- Thomas Jones
- Brooklyn Kuntz
- Beckham Harman
- Cati Snyder
- Audrey Warren
- Madison Christman
Chief Wilson closed the ceremony by thanking all honorees for their courage and willingness to act, emphasizing that their actions made a lasting impact on the Bellefontaine community.
