2004-2005 Honorees:

911 Dispatch

Mary K. Bennett
Don Hesse
Rhonda Schultz

"A Wing and a Prayer"

On May 1, 2004, Saginaw County 9-1-1 Dispatch Operator Rhonda Schultz received a cell phone call from a woman who informed her that she was in a single engine aircraft with her husband (who was piloting) and infant. The aircraft had lost its electrical system. They wanted to land at Flint's Bishop Airport, but, because of poor visibility and weather conditions, they didn't know where they were.

Dispatch Supervisor Don Hesse placed a call to the Flint tower to advise them of the situation. They were aware of an aircraft in distress and were attempting to reach them to find out their altitude. Before Operator Schultz could ask, the line went dead.

Operator Mary K. Bennett received a second call from the aircraft. It was difficult to hear because of the loud engine noise and crying baby. She was able to rely specific weather information the pilot needed before the line went dead again.

Supervisor Hesse received a third call from the aircraft, and the passenger advised that they were going to descend below the cloud base to try and determine where they were. The Saginaw tower informed Supervisor Hesse that the aircraft may be close to the Channel 12 antennas near Chesaning. They also advised that two F16 fighter jets were enroute to the area to see if they could assist the pilot.

After several more phone calls, this harrowing story came to a thankful close. Due in large part to the calm and persistence nature of these three 9-1-1 employees, 36 minutes after the first phone call was received, the plane landed safely.

Adult Good Samaritan

Mark Browning

"In the Nick of Time"

Mark Browning doesn't like all this attention, nor does he like to refer to himself as a Hero, but to the man he helped rescue, Mark is the true definition of a Hero.

It was right before Christmas, and Mark was on his way to work at the Saginaw Machine Systems plant. He came across a pick-up that was upside down in an icy ditch. Gerald Gilman, 75, had hit a patch of ice at Swan Creek and Center and slid off the road. The ditch was flowing with nearly three feet of irrigation water, and as it poured into the vehicle, Gerald managed to lift his head out of the water.

Mark scrambled to the vehicle and used a hammer from his truck to smash the passenger side window, and stayed with him until help arrived.

As fate would have it, the Mark knew the man he was now helping to save - Gerald was his former co-worker at Allied Tool & Machine, Co. twenty some years ago.

As rescuers arrived, the truck started to sink in the mud. Crews managed to dislodge the truck from the riverbed, crack the doors and cut Gerald free.

"If someone wouldn't have gotten him out of there, he probably would have drowned," said Fire Chief Ken Tomaszewski of James Township.

And for Mark - he continued on his morning commute with quite a story to tell.

Biomedical

Gary Sanford

"The Gift of Life"

Did you know that every 56 days you can donate blood and save someone's life? In fact, every donated pint can help three to four people. Well, using those calculations, Gary Sanford has probably saved over 300 people!

As a ten gallon blood donor, Gary makes "giving blood" a top priority. He has been donating the gift of life since the 1970's, and feels good about his contribution. "I believe in community involvement," says Gary. "I am glad that I am healthy enough to give blood as often as I do - I truly enjoy it!"

Gary coordinates blood drives at his workplace and encourages others to follow his lead. "I am humbled by this honor, but people need to realize that it doesn't cost any more than a few minutes of time to donate blood," says Gary.

The Michigan Community Blood Centers nominated Gary for this award, and they would concur. More "Garys" giving the gift of life would be quite welcome.

The Need For Blood

• 4.5 million Americans would die each year without life saving blood transfusions.
• On average, about 35,000 pints of blood are used each day in the United States.
• Every three seconds someone needs blood.
• On average, one out of every 10 hospital patients will need blood.
• About three gallons of blood supports the entire nation's blood needs for one minute.
• Blood centers often run short of type O and B blood.

Fire

Brian Wellman

"A Mass Exodus"

It seemed like a wonderful holiday excursion - Daddy and his three little girls out to see Mr. & Mrs. Claus at the Castle Museum. No one expected that an arsonist would strike the Museum, with hundreds of children and their families inside.

As his children (Grace, Margaux and Lauren) were approaching Santa, Brian Wellman smelled a faint odor of smoke. He followed the smell behind Santa and saw a cone-shaped pattern staining the wall. Looking down a hole, he saw the basement ablaze. Using his cell phone, Brian called 9-1-1. Then he moved to the tables where children were doing craft projects and stopping at each table he said quietly, but firmly, "There is a problem and everyone must leave the building."

"My actions were no more heroic than that of any other parent who happened to find themselves where I did," says Brian.

Patty and Harold Evans might disagree, as they were the ones who nominated Brian for this award. "At no time did he yell fire, as others might have done," says Harold. "Instead, he alerted all in a calm but firm manner, and guided everyone to safety."

The many children and parents who were there that day may have come to see Santa Claus, but they also saw an angel.

Officer Steven Anderson Sergeant Mark Garabelli Jaime Browne & James Faughnan, II

Law Enforcement

Officer Steven Anderson
Sergeant Mark Garabelli
James Faughnan, II
Jaime Browne

"Back to Life"

Doug's Friendly Tavern in St. Charles is a neighborhood bar. A place to shoot some pool, have a few beers, and swap stories with local friends. On the night of September 3, 2004, it was also a place where a man flat lined, and was brought back to life.

Jaime Browne, a Tri-Township Firefighter, was off duty, and at the bar to see her boyfriend James (Jamie) Faughnan, who was acting as DJ that night. They saw Doug Gross, the owner, collapse. When they both began an initial assessment of Doug, they realized that he was in cardiac arrest. Jamie, who is also EMT, instructed the bartender to call 9-1-1 and began to clear the bar. Upon returning moments later to help Jaime, Doug stopped breathing and had no pulse. St. Charles Police Officer Steven Anderson arrived and helped with CPR. Sergeant Mark Garabelli from the Saginaw County Sheriff's Department arrived and took over CPR, as Officer Anderson retrieved his AED (Automated External Defibrillator).

Three shocks from the AED put Doug back into normal cardiac rhythm. MMR then arrived to give advanced support, and Doug found himself at Covenant Medical Center, where he underwent heart bypass surgery and has since made a full recovery.

"I'm so glad I had so many professionals to help me," says Doug. "They were all miracle workers."

Military Hero

Staff Sgt. Donald N. Davis

"The Memory Lives On"

U.S. Army Reserve Staff Sergeant Donald N. Davis was much more than a soldier. Just ask his wife, kids, parents or friends. Donald was a husband, a son, a father, a brother, and a friend. To all who knew him, he was that "salt of the earth" kind of guy, who would tell it like it is, and never let a friend in need down.

When he lost his life in Fallujah, Iraq last August, after serving 24 years in the military, the lives of the people he left behind were forever changed.

"I swear, he was the most perfect man to walk the face of the earth," says his widow, Linda. "He was the best father and best husband. Donald was completely devoted to his family." Married just 13 - months, Linda knows that there will never be another man that can fill the void left by Donald's death.

According to Linda, if Donald was here, the first thing he would say is that he didn't deserve this honor. "He was an extremely private and humble person, and never wanted attention for just doing his job."

Linda believes that before Donald left for this last tour, he knew he wasn't coming home. "He knelt down with the kids and told them, "just remember, if anything happens and I don't come home, I was doing this to protect you. And I'll never be as far away as your heart."

Workplace Good Samaritan

Lori Scheffler

"To Breathe Again"

Imagine taking a break from your busy work day to sit down for a short time to enjoy lunch. Now imagine choking and not being able to breathe. It could happen to any of us - and it happened to Dorothy Curtis, a housekeeping employee at the Bavarian Inn Lodge. "It is really scary when you can't breathe," remembers Dorothy. "A bean got caught in my throat. People were asking if I was okay and I just shook my head - I couldn't speak."

Thankfully, Lori Scheffler was on her break too - just one table away from Dorothy. She knew exactly what to do. Fellow employees sitting near Dorothy starting shouting for help. Lori heard the shouting and immediately went over to her, stood her up, and performed the Heimlich maneuver.

"I am so thankful for what she did," says Dorothy. Lori says she was in the right place, at the right time, but to Dorothy, it is much more than that. "She saved my life," she says. "I am so grateful."

Youth Good Samaritan

Ka'Lyn Smith

"A Brave Child"

Little girls are made up of "sugar and spice and everything nice." Eight year-old Ka'Lyn Smith is also a little girl made up of courage, strength and bravery.

When her mother, Elizabeth Smith, suffered a heart attack last March, Ka'Lyn knew to call right away for help. "I called my auntie," says Ka'Lyn. "I was scared."

Scared, but smart. Ka'Lyn was calm when she called, says her aunt, Brenda Noel. She rushed to the Smith home and the home's security system brought rescue workers soon after. Elizabeth regained consciousness, and while she is still suffering some side effects, she's grateful to be alive and be a mother to her little girl.

"This is my only child," says Elizabeth. "I believe God was working through her. And I thank God that he left me here."

Elizabeth says Ka'Lyn learned the most important phone numbers to memorize at Head Start, and is grateful that she put those lessons to good use. "I appeared to be dead," says Elizabeth. "I was scared, and I know Ka'Lyn was too. She was so brave, though. I am thankful for my child and what she did. She is truly a blessing."

Animal Rescue

Scout
Owners: Russell & Amy Struble

"Man's Best Friend"

There are people who love animals - and then there are people who REALLY love animals. Count Amy Struble in the latter category. In fact, she's not quite sure what put her on a quest to get another dog, but when she met Scout, there was no doubt. Scout turned out to play an important role in saving the family from a devastating house fire.

It was Halloween night in 2004 at approximately 2:30 a.m. when Scout, the Strubles' 10-week old Golden Retriever pup, began crying. Amy got up, let Scout outside, and when she came back in the house, saw smoke pouring out of the great room vents. She woke up her husband, Russell, and quickly roused their three children, ranging in age at that time from 6 years to 19 months. They gathered up the children, Scout and their other dog, Whaley. Within minutes after calling 9-1-1, they watched in shock and disbelief as the windows in their home filled with smoke.

They never went back in.

The smoke alarms did not go off until the kids and Amy were downstairs. The Struble family firmly believes that Scout waking up provided them with the precious extra minutes needed to get out of the house safely. Needless to say, they feel lucky to be alive, and thankful for their golden puppy.

Medical Response

Justin McLaughlin

"Special Delivery"

As a Dispatcher for Mobile Medical Response (MMR), Justin McLaughlin has to be ready for the unexpected. Dispatchers must be calm, cool and collected - and Justin was all that and more when he helped to deliver a baby over the phone.

The whole act of childbirth can be stressful and overwhelming when you are at the hospital surrounded by professionals. The stress factor probably goes through the roof when you are at home with just a voice on the other end of a phone line. But that is what happened to a local family early last year. Justin got the call and began guiding a very nervous father-to-be through the birth of his son. "The entire call took mere minutes, but it felt like hours," remembers Justin. "Then you hear the crying, the kind you only hear from a brand-new baby. Everyone could relax a bit then."

In the midst of the urgent nature of the call, the most humorous moment came when Justin was continuing to talk to the father after the baby had been born, keeping him on the line until the ambulance arrived. Justin asked if they had a name picked out for their son. The man said no, but asked what his name was. "Sounds good to me," was the father's reply, when told "Justin."

For a 9-1-1 dispatcher, when the other end of the line could bring something like a heart attack or a domestic violence situation, this is one of the more rewarding calls. Justin believes he was just doing his job. But to do it well, with such care, concern and compassion, makes him a Hero in anyone's eyes.

Workplace Good Samaritan

Chris Sutorik
Maria Sutorik
Mary Weaver
Carol Schnell

"God Give Me Strength"

A hallmark of the Bronner family and Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland is their commitment to family. And when you are a Bronner's employee, you're like family, too.

That is why when one of their own, Fred Beyerlein, a 38-year employee of Bronner's, suffered a heart attack while on the job; there was no shortage of folks looking to help.

In early August, 2004, Fred was going through his usual routine of filling the pop machines in the staff lounge when he fell to the ground. There was an internal page indicating a medical emergency in the south lounge. Fred was not breathing and did not have a pulse. Maria Bronner Sutorik and Mary Weaver began CPR, with Carol Schnell taking over for Mary when she arrived. CPR continued until Chris Sutorik arrived with a medical cart, which included an AED. Upon assessing, a shock was advised and administered. At that point, Chris and Maria continued CPR until the EMT's arrived.

At one point during this harrowing situation, Maria remembers asking co-workers who were gathered to pray for Fred. When the EMT's left with Fred, they commented that the CPR and AED gave Fred a chance.

Fred was given more than a chance, as his guardian angels watched over him during not only this, but when he had quadruple bypass surgery a few days later and had a defibrillator implanted. And amazingly - Fred was back to work within a few months.

His rescuers all agree that they were in the right place, at the right time, and their strength came from a higher power.

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