Photo By Sgt. Emily Simonson | Montana Army National Guard Soldier with the 1050th Firefighting Tactical Group, Spc....... read more read more
FORT HARRISON, Mont.- Spc. Ryan Thurman and Spc. Graydon Irish of the 1050th Firefighter Tactical Group, were awarded the Army Commendation Medal by battalion commander Lt. Col. Kyle Halseth for their acts of selfless service June 7, 2020.
The firefighters earned the medal for being first responders in a car accident in East Helena, January 4, 2019. They had been returning from drill that night, still in uniform, when they came across the accident and pulled over to help.
“We knew instantly we had to act because somebody was in trouble and they needed help,” Irish said. “It was more of just an instinct to go out there and help them.”
They rushed to the car in the middle of the road and assessed the patients. The Patients all reported neck and back pain. They began treating three patients in the vehicle.
“It was definitely a good thing we stopped because no one else around knew what to do,” Thurman said.
A concerned civilian informed them there was a second car in a ditch off the side of the road. They directed civilian responders to stay with the first car before rushing to the second vehicle.
There, they found the driver in a similar condition to the other patients, but the passenger was unresponsive with a slight pulse. Deeming him in critical condition, they implemented life-saving measures until emergency responders arrived.
Thurman said one of the paramedics told him if not for the pair’s quick action “the guy might have died in his seat.”
Thurman and Irish remained on the scene for another hour assisting paramedics, providing information they’d gathered and keeping the patients calm until they were safe to move into the ambulances. Irish said it sped the process up, getting the injured civilians to the hospital faster.
The 1050th Firefighters are grateful for their experience in the Montana National Guard for focusing heavily on medical training. Due to the training they’ve received through the Guard, both men were calm and efficient in their assessment and treatment of the patients.
“The training that our NCOs (non-commissioned officers) do is awesome when it comes to medical,” Thurman said. “A lot of it, we’ve got to give credit to our NCOs for showing us that.”
“I think everyone should at least know the basics on medical for when a wreck like that happens, you can do something,” Thurman said.
| Date Taken: | 06.07.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 08.04.2020 17:41 |
| Story ID: | 375249 |
| Location: | FORT HARRISON, MONTANA, US |
| Web Views: | 147 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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