Ben Rinker was given the Firefighter of the Year award for his dedication to the department and it’s members. “Always willing to help out and be involved”, said firefighter Chris Tomlinson who presented Rinker with the award. Every week firefighters are asked to come down to the station and do maintenance on the trucks, clean the station and provide general housekeeping and Ben is always there willing to help out.

Tadd Shively received an Award of Heroism for saving the life of a woman from a burning mobile home in January of this year. Shively was the first firefighter to arrive on the scene and found heavy smoke coming from the mobile home and a woman still inside waiting for the fire department to show up. He acted quickly and safely in getting not only the woman but himself out of the mobile home before flames errupted from one of the rooms.

The department also elected their leadership for next year which is as follows:

• Fire Chief: Roger Bennett
• Asst. Chief: Wayne Krider
• Board of Directors: Darrell Resler
• Board of Directors: Chris Holloway
• Board of Directors: Ben Rinker
• Board of Directors: Kris Bair
• Board of Directors: Justin Snyder
• Board of Directors: Bruce Shanabarger
• Board of Directors: Ron Slagal

These two men and the entire department could use a round of applause, so feel free to do so below.

In years past the department has brought in equipment to show the kids and talk about fire safety. This year they added a new feature – a safety house borrowed from Noble county fire departments.

Children attending the classes were instructed on how to crawl low to the ground when smoke was in a room, how and when to dial 9-1-1, electrical hazards and how to be safe in the kitchen when parents are using the stove.

Next week kids will work on posters using their artistic skills to show what they learned and how they plan on preventing fires. We hope to have these children and their award winning posters right here on the site, so check back soon!

Firefighter Justin Snyder (left) and Chris Tomlinson (right) stand in front of the trailer. (not pictured Jim Horne)

Firefighter of the Year

Every year a firefighter is chosen for this award because of their dedication, time spent, attitude and overall performance in the department. Joe Small is a fairly new member of the department and has remained very dedicated to serving the department. “He listens very well and is willing to do whatever is asked of him”, said Kris Bair who presented Small with the award.

Years of Dedication

Chad Fulkerson was given a ‘thank you’ plaque for his years of service to the department and the community. From June 1990 to December of 2007 Fulkerson was an integral part in the department. He served on the Board of Directors several times, was a captain and a dedicated professional for over 17 years.

Forever Grateful

That was the title of an award that several members received for saving the life of downed firefighter Chris Tomlinson. In February of this year, Tomlinson was inside a house fire when a ceiling collapsed on him and two others without warning.

Firefighters rushed in to uncover Tomlinson from the debris to find him unresponsive and immediately requested EMT’s to enter and assist with patient care. After being extricated from the debris he was rushed to Parkview Memorial Hospital’s trauma unit and after several tests were conducted, it was discovered his vertebrae had collapsed and the disc was pressing against his spinal cord. It was decided that emergency surgery to replace the disc and fuse the two vertebrae together was the only option for Tomlinson at that time.

“Heroes, every last one of you”, said Tomlinson holding back tears. “I can never thank each of you enough for your outstanding skills, compassion and abilities that saved my life. I am eternally grateful to each and every one of you”

Officer Elections

For the second year in a row Roger Bennett will be the fire chief for 2009 and Wayne Krider will be Assistant Chief. Several board members were re-elected to their previous positions and at least one new member will join the board of directors this year.

For 6 years now, the department has been handing out awards for amazing rescues, life saving skills and of course, firefighter of the year. Each year, the committee bases their decision on things such as dedication, personality, attitude and the drive for the person(s) to go the extra mile.
This year Justin Snyder walked away with the award and more for his dedication to the department and community.

As part of his dedication to the department, he was given the Chief’s Award for being very proactive in obtaining grants for equipment purchases for the department.

Because his attitude was positive all year long, he worked hard for the grants on his own and stayed involved in the department, Snyder was more than deserving of the award.

Life Saving Awards

The fire department is not a part of the actual EMS system, but do assist on a multitude of runs all year long. From the simple fall to critical medical emergencies, Churubusco Firefighters are called to action. And each year a few people are lucky enough to have saved a life.

Some of these men and women have received these awards before and for some it’s their very first time. By applying their knowledge, skills and abilities, a few Churubusco community members are alive today.

One incident took place at the Churubusco P.D. where a woman was found unconscious in a vehicle and the other took place at a residence.

These men and women deserve great recognition for the work that they do day in and day out assisting the Whitley County EMS system.

Congratulations Ted and Tim on a job well done!

Award of Heroism

On January 18, 2006 Rinker was dining with his wife Amy and son Cameron when he was alerted by other people of an unresponsive man. After further evaluation, Rinker discovered the man had choked on food and passed out. Ironically, Rinker had been certified in CPR and the Heimlich maneuver. Ben acted quickly using his newly acquired skills and performed the Heimlich on the man clearing the obstructed airway.

Awards of Heroism

Firefighters Matt Straub, Chris Tomlinson, Tadd Shively, Ron Slagal and Jim Horne were honored December 11 th at an awards ceremony for saving the life of Tyler Fingerle.

On September 12 th 2006 emergency personnel responded to Bryie Road on a report of a vehicle accident with injuries. On arrival three patients were located outside of a vehicle that was sitting beneath power lines. It was confirmed that 2 of the 3 patients were dead on arrival and efforts were made to rescue of Fingerle from touching the downed power lines. All five firefighters put their lives on the line to rescue Fingerle and Monday he and his family joined the department for dinner and presentation of the awards to the firefighters.

Chief’s Award

Wade Bogard (left) and Ron Slagal were honored December 11 th at an awards ceremony at the fire station.

Both men served as the department training officers for 2006 and set a goal of at least 1 training a month for the year. These two men far exceeded that goal with a total of 16 department trainings and the training of 5 new recruits.

For their outstanding efforts this year, they were presented the Chiefs Award which stands for outstanding achievement and going beyond the call of duty for the department.