Emergency Officials, Bystanders Commended For Life-Saving Actions

(Beaver Dam) The Beaver Dam Common Council Tuesday night recognized emergency officials and heroic bystanders whose recent actions saved lives. Excellence in Leadership awards were given out to Deputy Fire Chief Matt Christian and Fire Captain Lee Smith for their work at Village Glen Apartments, where in March explosives killed one person; because of the volatility of the chemicals, the entire complex had to be taken down by controlled burn. Captain Smith was also recognized for his leadership role during the fatal fire one month later at the Executive Apartments where two people were killed. Also recognized for that incident were Captain Russ Johnson and firefighter-paramedics Chris Ackley, John Jatczak, Wes Jahnke and Kyle Nehr. The civilians who helped remove a motorist from a burning vehicle in Beaver Dam on April 30th were also singled out. A car travelling south on North Spring Street lost control and hit several traffic light poles and a house porch before coming to rest in the front yard and bursting into flames. Four witnesses sprang into action and pulled the driver from wreckage. The driver who was rescued was on hand Monday night when Bradley Burchardt, Matthew Fischbach, Robert Ritter, and Bruce Siebert were recognized for rushing into harm’s way to simultaneously extinguish the fire and pull the driver from the burning wreckage.

 

Beaver Dam Common Council Life-Saving Recognition’s 6-18-2018