Tracy Allen-Lee Medal October 24, 2009, Ashford Street/Hegeman Avenue, Brooklyn
PARAMEDIC JAMES V. CRISPINO
PARAMEDIC WALTER HOCHBRUECKNER
39R2
39R2
Appointed to EMS as an Emergency Medical Technician on October 5, 1992. Recipient of several pre-hospital saves and a unit citation. Holds a BBA degree in Marketing from Hofstra University. Resides in Mount Sinai, Long Island, with his wife, Stephanie, and their sons, Nicholas and Jonathan.
Appointed to EMS as an Emergency Medical Technician on October 31, 1988. Recipient of a unit citation, pre-hospital save and excellent duty award. Served in the Navy, 1982-1987. Resides in Mineola, Long Island, with his wife, Kim, and their children, Ali and Timmy.
W
hen an EMS call comes in for a member of service, glement and extrication process would be necessary and dictatthe heart beats a little faster, the blood flows a little ed the services of a Rescue Medical Task Force to medically more quickly and the adrenaline starts to flow. Such manage the chauffeur’s injuries as he was becoming symptobecame the case on October 24, 2009, for Paramedics James matic of crush syndrome. Crispino and Walter Hochbrueckner when the Brooklyn EMS Paramedics Crispino and Hochbrueckner entered the radio came alive with urgent calls for assistance at the scene of entrapment area several times throughout the disentanglement a motor vehicle accident--Engine 236 and Ladder 107 had col- phase of the operation to render advanced medical care, prelided with each other while responding to a reported gas leak-- venting additional metabolic injuries from occurring. The pair at the intersection of Ashford Street and administered intravenous fluids and medHegeman Avenue. ications to the patient. Following approxThe force of the impact caused Engine imately two hours of intricate and deter236 to leave the roadway and strike a brick mined efforts, the trapped chauffeur of wall. Ladder 107 rolled on its side and slid Ladder 107 was successfully removed by about 100 feet down Ashford Street, comFirefighters from the overturned apparaing to rest against a large tree, pinning both tus and taken via ambulance to the trauthe Officer and chauffeur in the cab of the ma center at Brookdale Hospital. apparatus. On arrival, EMS members were Throughout the entire operation, met with a chaotic scene--multiple injured members of the Medical Branch operated and trapped Firefighters. Due to the scope inside and in proximity to the overturned of the incident, the Incident Command apparatus, which was leaking fuel and System was established, with Medical hydraulic fluid. This hazardous situation Branch activities directed by EMS Chief was further complicated by Hurst tool Frances Pascale, Division 1, and EMS exhaust and trip hazards, as well as the Deputy Chief Albert Gehres functioning as hazards of active cutting tools and the Deputy Medical Branch. exposed metal shards and glass. The triage process identified a total of In recognition of their expertise and 10 patients with varying injuries, the most crucial contributions to successfully significant of which were the trapped extricating a Firefighter who was trapped Officer and chauffeur of Ladder 107. in his apparatus and while operating Although the Officer was the more seriunder hazardous conditions, the ously injured, the chauffeur’s leg was Department is pleased to honor pinned between the overturned apparatus Thanks to the skilled efforts of Paramedics James Paramedic James Crispino and and the roadway. With this finding and Crispino and Walter Hochbrueckner, rescued Paramedic Walter Hochbrueckner with subsequent removal of the Officer, it Firefighter gives the thumbs-up sign, following his the Tracy Allen-Lee Medal.--AG became clear that a protracted disentan- successful extrication from Ladder 107. photo by Queens Dispatcher Joseph Epstein
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FIRE DEPARTMENT, CITY OF NEW YORK • MEDAL DAY 2010