Fire department recognizes promotions, new hires and lifesavers

Details: Lance Martin; News; 17 August 2023; 3594

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Roanoke Rapids fire Chief Jason Patrick honored several firefighters during Tuesday’s city council meeting.

The honors included a promotion, the recognition of new hires and presentation of two lifesaving awards. In one of the lifesaving award presentations he also recognized two members of the public whose assistance was invaluable to the effort.

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Promotion

Jonathan Woodall was hired by the fire department in March of 2016, Patrick said.

A native of Wilson and a 2015 graduate of the Wilson Fire Academy, he was first promoted to engineer in 2018 — serving in that capacity until August of last year when he was promoted to lieutenant.

The lieutenant rank is a supervisor level and Woodall is assigned to B Shift on Ladder 141. His son Grant placed the lieutenant badge on his father’s uniform.

New hire

New hire Jacob Felhauer was recognized. New hires Dakota Clark and Kenneth “Sam” Allen were not present.

Felhauer, who is a firefighter on C Shift, was hired in August of last year and resides in the Lake Gaston area. He has served with the Longbridge Fire Department for five years, Patrick said.

“Jacob was one of our first ones to go through a fire academy that we as the city of Roanoke Rapids sent him through,” the chief said. “We’ve hired different ones such as Jonathan out of fire academies before but Jacob was one of the first ones we hired and actually sent through an academy. That seems to be working out pretty well for us at this point.”

His grandfather, James Ketzel, placed the badge on his uniform.

Lifesaving

“Our members get dispatched to medical calls to assist with numerous things — from car wrecks to any kind of trauma that someone may have had at home or even cardiac issues,” Patrick told the council.

The lifesaving awards the fire department presented were based on the successful resuscitation of patients.

Will Harris and Jared Wood were the first honorees for a call they were dispatched to on April 22. “For an act of their quick response and bravery they were able to resuscitate one of our citizens who went into cardiac arrest,” Patrick said.

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With the help of EMS they revived the patient and had them transported for further treatment.

The second lifesaving award demonstrated how citizens — Tim and Judy Hux in this instance — help in these cases. “It was performed not too far from here (Lloyd Andrews City Meeting Hall).”

A bystander was driving down the road and noticed a young woman who was exercising. The person passed out on the sidewalk. “He and his wife turned around and went back to assist the patient. The patient went into cardiac arrest at that time.”

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Judy ran to the fire station about a block away and the firefighters responded to the scene. “In the meantime we had another citizen riding by who happened to be a volunteer firefighter with the Gaston Fire Department (Jarvis Horne) stop and started performing CPR on this person,” Patrick said. “By the time our guys got up there with more equipment, they were able to administer an AED shock along with supplemental oxygen and continued to perform CPR. The patient was successfully brought back.”

Of Tim and Judy’s help, Patrick said, “If it hadn't been for their quick action and being able to notify someone for help that quickly, we don’t know if the outcome would have been the same.”

Firefighters Hunter Whitemire and Felhauser were recognized while Horne and RRFD Lieutenant Chad Turner were unable to be at the meeting.

Moseley retirement

Before the fire department recognitions, Roanoke Rapids police Chief Shane Guyant recognized the retirement last month of Captain Mike Moseley, who served the city for 21 years. “His service is greatly appreciated and will be remembered,” Guyant said of Moseley, who will become a school resource officer.