Secretary Tennyson praised the efforts of all the staff members who responded to the incident.
“All of these employees demonstrated a great willingness to go above and beyond in an emergency situation,” Tennyson said.
On the morning of April 28, Skinner was traveling on Highway 125 when she observed a house fire in progress off the highway.
After she called 911, Jernigan and Griffies, who had also noticed the fire, stopped to assist the homeowner to make sure he got out of the way of the blaze, which had spread throughout the structure. Jernigan also helped coax a reluctant pet dog out of the burning residence.
Hurdle, who is also chief of the Jackson Fire Department in Northampton County, stopped and offered his assistance to two volunteer firefighters, and helped man a hose to combat the fire.
Division 4 board member Gus Tulloss said he was proud that the employees were given recognition for their efforts.
“Whether they are doing work for the Department of Transportation or other duties, they all showed professionalism,” Tulloss said. “They also showed compassion to go back and get the gentleman’s pet dog out. I am proud of what they did and how they responded.”
