FGF&R Interns recognized for helping injured high school football player

Forest Grove Intern Firefighters Jake Stone and Damian Peters were honored at the City Council Meeting this evening with the Unit Citation Award from Forest Grove Fire & Rescue for their actions during an emergency medical call at a November High School Football game. At the Council meeting Division Chief David Nemeyer and Mayor Pete Truax presented the two interns with ribbons that are worn on their uniform. Below is what Chief Nemeyer had to say about their recognition.

FGF&R Interns Jake Stone and Damian Peters wearing their commendation ribbons

On Friday November 5, 2010 Volunteer Firefighters Jake Stone and Damian Peters were performing a medical standby at a Forest Grove High School Varsity Football game. During the first half one of the Forest Grove players experienced a very hard helmet to helmet hit and was down on the field being tended to by team trainers when they signaled for Jake and Damian to come onto the field to assist.

When they reached the injured player, our crew found that the young man was complaining of severe neck pain. In front of hundreds in attendance at the game, Jake and Damian worked with the team trainers and family members and immediately began taking precautions to secure the injured player’s neck and spine from any unnecessary movement. They followed football injury protocols and placed the young man on a long back board and had him transported by ambulance to Tuality Hospital in Hillsboro.

While at the hospital an x ray revealed that the injured football player had fractured his C4 vertebrae, this bone is located near the top of his spine. If not treated appropriately, an injury of this magnitude has the potential for permanent nerve damage. In fact slight movements of only fractions of an inch can cause paralysis from the injury down if the spine is not immobilized properly. Jake and Damian had no way of knowing at the time that this was the exact injury that the player had suffered; yet they dealt with a difficult situation of conflicting opinions of the injury in a very public setting respectfully and tactfully with only the best interests of the injured player in mind. Because of their quick thinking and appropriate treatment a potentially life changing injury was discovered and a positive difference was made in the life of this young football player. Therefore we present Intern Firefighters Jake Stone and Damian Peters with the Unit Citation Award from Forest Grove Fire & Rescue.