Firefighters, rescuers honored at Valor Awards

Those honored at the 23rd annual Valor Awards ceremony Thursday were recognized for everything from saving lives to thwarting criminals to preventing suicides.

Technician II Michael Anthony

Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue Technician II Michael Anthony was one of 22 award recipients to be honored at the ceremony at Fox Chase Manor.

Anthony won a Silver Award for his “quick thinking, sound judgement and leadership skills” when he rescued a driver from a burning car that had been in a head-on collision.

Anthony himself was involved in the multiple car wreck, but was able to coordinate bystanders to collect fire extinguishers and call for emergency response teams.

Paramedics arrived and got the woman out of the car.

Firefighter Kurt Bolland

Firefighter Kurt Bolland, of the Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire Department, was another Silver Award honoree.

While at a town house fire, Bolland received reports that there were people trapped in the town house. Bolland rushed in to find them.

While he was inside the burning building, conditions became worse but Bolland continued his search until he determined no one was in the town house.

As Bolland exited the house a “flashover” occurred and his head and shoulders were “enveloped in flame.”

Bolland received burns to his face, hand, wrists and ears.

Officer Chester Outland

Officer Chester Outland, of the Prince William-Manassas Regional Jail, came upon a “devastating accident” while off duty.

A Prince William police motorcycle officer had been hit head-on and was lying in the middle of the road.

As bystanders helped the fallen officer, Outland noticed a truck with front-end damage leaving the scene and followed it, unarmed.

The truck pulled to the side of the road. Outland confronted the driver, who ignored him and tried to restart the truck.

Outland reached inside the truck and removed the keys from the ignition.

Another truck arrived by the damaged truck and the drivers talked briefly.

The first driver took another set of keys and tried to start the truck again. Outland took those keys too.

Outland detained the men until armed police officers arrived and took them into custody and charged them.

Matt Brock of ABC 7/Newschannel 8, read the citations at the ceremony sponsored by the Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Members of the Youth Orchestras of Prince William played “America the Beautiful” to open the ceremony.

Henry DeGeneste

Henry DeGeneste, of the Prince William County Police Department, helped a senior citizen out of a burning car.

DeGeneste, a civilian employee of the police department, saw flames erupt from under the woman’s car as he drove into the parking lot of a senior center.

The woman was unable to release her seatbelt.

DeGeneste asked the woman to give him her hand and talked her through the ordeal.

The woman later said that the “calmness” of DeGeneste’s voice gave her the “confidence” to follow his directions.

DeGeneste was honored with a Bronze Award for his actions.

Jeanne West

Prince William police Officer Jeanne West also received a Bronze Award.

West encountered an enraged man during a domestic dispute.

When she tried to arrest the man, he trapped her in a bear hug, bit her on the head and screamed that he wanted to die.

West Tasered the man, but since the man had her in a bear hug, she too received a shock from the Taser.

The man tried to take her gun, but West rolled and trapped the gun between her body and the ground.

Other members of the team “delivered strikes” and were able to free West.

Kyle Raczkowski

U.S. Marine Corps Corporal Kyle Raczkowski earned a Merit Award for securing a weapon, preventing the suicide of a heavily armed Marine and safely evacuating the scene.

Later he helped remove seven unregistered weapons and 200 rounds of ammunition from the scene.

Brian Daily

Prince William-Manassas Regional Jail Master Officer Brian Daily also received a Merit Award for helping a state trooper who was in a struggle on the side of the road.

Cottrell Derrick and Jessica Tacha

Prince William Police Officers Cottrell Derrick and Jessica Tacha each received a Merit Award for rescuing a would-be suicide victim from an oncoming train.

Tacha and Derrick responded to a cell phone call for help, but arrived to find an incorrect location.

They tried repeatedly to call the woman back but only got her voicemail.

The officers located the cell phone tower where the call originated and found the distraught woman sitting on the railroad tracks.

They raced to the woman and pulled her from the tracks as she struggled to get away.

Adam J. Pieper and David A. Eynon

U.S. Marine Corps Sergeants Adam J. Pieper and David A. Eynon earned a Lifesaving Award for helping to find a missing Marine who might have been suicidal.

Pieper and Eynon convinced people at OnStar to help them find the Marine’s car, but when they got to it it was empty.

Pieper and Eynon coordinated with police, who found the Marine in the process of hanging himself in his room.

Stephen Mercer

Prince William Police Officer Stephen Mercer was called to a scene where a distraught man was holding a knife to his chest.

Mercer built a rapport with the man until other officers Tasered the man, who again became angry an agitated.

Mercer regained the man’s trust after the Tasing and was able to convince him to put down the knife.

Mercer won a lifesaving award for his actions.

Prince William Department of Fire and Rescue Technician II Robert McParland, Technician I Nicholas Feliciano, Technician I Michael Hendrickson and Technician I Ryan Kirk

Prince William Department of Fire and Rescue Technician II Robert McParland, Technician I Nicholas Feliciano, Technician I Michael Hendrickson and Technician I Ryan Kirk shared a Lifsaving Award for rescuing a man who had fallen into a septic tank. The man’s father went into the septic tank to rescue his son and died.

Technician II Walter Hunt, Technician I Scott Coloe, Technician I Brennan Gilligan and Technician I Victor Vega

Technician II Walter Hunt, Technician I Scott Coloe, Technician I Brennan Gilligan and Technician I Victor Vega received a lifesaving Award rescued four fire victims trapped on two fourth-floor balconies.

Liam Burke and Todd Troutner

Prince William County police Detectives Liam Burke and Todd Troutner earned the Hillary Robinette Award for 2009 for a three-month investigation that led to the solving of four murders and 17 arrests.

Manassas Bureau Chief Keith Walker can be reached at 703-369-6751.