“Today we’re here to celebrate a life saved,” Deputy Fire Chief Brian Mitchell said at the Nov. 7 Poway City Council meeting.
Poway Firefighters and Sheriff Deputies were recognized for their combined efforts that saved the life of a motorcyclist in May. The man was riding on Poway Road, in the eastern portion known as the Poway Grade, when he went into cardiac arrest and crashed his motorcycle. Sheriff Deputies Marshall Abbott and Noe Flores were first on the scene and started CPR until the Poway Fire Department arrived. Firefighters were able to successfully resuscitate the man and Mitchell shared that because of their quick response and outstanding performance, he was able to leave the hospital the next day with no significant injuries.
Sgt. Sean Gallagher also acknowledged three Sheriff’s deputies who responded to a call about a possible suicidal male. Deputies Jacob Wilder-Tramell, Tony Bernal and Keith Novak found a man with a self-inflicted knife wound to his arm when they arrived at the scene. They provided medical aid, including a tourniquet to stop the bleeding, and safely moved the man to where the fire department could more easily provide aid. Hospital staff who treated the man said that without the deputies’ actions, he would have succumbed to his injuries.
Pictured: Firefighter Matt Monahan, Fire Engineer Daniel Acosta, Firefighter Nick Snider, Fire Captain Jonathan Marshall, Deputy Fire Chief Brian Mitchell, Sgt. Sean Gallagher, Deputy Marshall Abbott, Deputy Keith Novak, Deputy Jacob Wilder-Tramell, Deputy Tony Bernal, and Deputy Noe Flores.
Not pictured: Firefighter Casey Flores, Fire Engineer James Kleppel, Captain Steve La Corte, and Firefighter Daniel Padilla.