SUNNYVALE HONORS PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS

SUNNYVALE, Calif. – Four members of the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety were honored at tonight’s (Tuesday, August 10) City Council meeting for life-saving efforts. Awards included a Silver Medal of Honor.

Distinguished Service Awards were given to Public Safety Officers (PSOs) William Whitaker and Jim Davis for their life-saving efforts with a heart attack victim. On
October 3, 2003, Whitaker and Davis were on patrol when they were dispatched with a fire truck and an ambulance on an emergency medical service call. They were the first to arrive. The officers applied an automatic external defibrillator (AED) and assisted the man’s breathing. Their efforts restored the man’s pulse and he is alive today thanks to their efforts.

In the afternoon of January 11, 2003, Lt. Phil Carr, who was on Sunnyvale Fire Engine One, observed a car stuck on the railroad tracks at Evelyn and Mary. A train was approaching and the driver was still in the car, trying to move it off the tracks. Carr had to physically remove the driver a scant ten seconds before the train struck the car. For his life-saving effort, Lt. Carr was awarded the Bronze Medal of Distinction.

On January 7, 2003, Sunnyvale Fire Battalion Chief Tim Johnson responded to a reported fire on Shirley Avenue. Johnson was the first to arrive on the scene and he found the house was filled with smoke and someone inside was screaming. Without any protective equipment, Johnson entered the residence and located the victim in a bedroom which was heavily filled with smoke. Johnson was able to remove the victim from the house. The victim suffered second degree burns to her face, arms and hands. Battalion Chief Johnson has been awarded a Silver Medal of Honor for his life-saving rescue.

Sunnyvale Mayor John Howe expressed his thanks on behalf of the City to these officers, saying “We have come to expect great and heroic deeds from our public safety professionals. I am honored these officers are part of Sunnyvale’s Department of Public Safety, and I know I, the City Council and our residents feel more secure knowing our safety is in their hands.”