Heroes of Station 91

I have my work cut out for me with this post.  Out of absolute gratitude, it is my personal commitment to myself and all of you to honor some very special people that we had the opportunity to meet with today.  Steve had a reunion with the remarkable firefighters from Los Angeles Fire Department Station 91 and the kids and I, along with members of the LAPD, were there with him.  These firefighters are our heroes, the men who saved Steve's life in the early morning hours of April 4th.

This was a reunion that Steve had been looking forward to from the moment he awoke from the drug induced coma.  Not only did Steve want to personally thank them for saving his life, but he also had many questions for them.  There were so many missing pieces in this story of survival and Steve wanted desperately to put the puzzle together.  When we arrived, the firefighters were waiting for us.  What an omnipotent arrangement of circumstances and events to bring us to this moment:

After Steve presented the firefighters with a plaque for their heroic efforts in saving his life, we went inside the firehouse so Steve could hear their version of the events that morning.  We sat down at their table in the kitchen.  Their firehouse was warm and welcoming with a generous and kind energy to it.  The biggest question Steve and I both had for them was who made the decision for the firefighters to stay on scene after their call and why?  We know they could have easily left after they medically treated the female domestic violence victim and there was really no reason for them to stay as their job was done.  But as we found out, Capt. Donald Darby made the decision to stay on scene as K-9 went on their search for the suspect and we wanted to know what it was about those circumstances that guided him to make the decisions he did.  He said that his guys were tired and cold and not all that happy about staying but he decided that they should stay anyway.  Exactly what in him convinced him to make that decision, he cannot say.  It was just the decision he made.  I call it Divine guidance.  Here's Capt. Darby speaking to us:

   
Then Steve spoke with the paramedics who treated and transported him.  Each one humbly recalled their part and explained to Steve what they saw and did.  With true admiration, we listened to these heroes as they matter-of-factly described the events.  They explained that they heard three shots ring out and they were told by the incident commander that an officer had been shot.  Disregarding their own safety, these amazing men drove toward the sound of the gunfire, not knowing what they were driving into.

They drove their rescue ambulance toward Steve's location and they saw Steve and Sgt. Taylor walking toward them.  They stopped next to Sgt. Taylor who told them Steve was the one who had been shot.  They went to Steve who then dropped to his knees and they immediately started working on him.  Instead of stripping off Steve's gear, they quickly loaded him on a gurney and began making their way to the hospital.  There were three paramedics and one firefighter in the back of the rescue ambulance with Steve.  Capt. Darby stayed on scene.  While en route to the hospital, the paramedics stripped Steve's gear off and noticed that the chest injury was squirting blood and Steve's shirt was saturated.  They applied pressure, started an IV and notified the hospital to let them know they were coming.  One of the firefighters asked Steve how many times he had been shot and Steve was coherent enough to tell them exactly where he had been shot and how many times.  From the time the firefighters reached Steve to the time he got to the hospital, approximately 10 minutes had elapsed.  After arriving at the hospital, they stayed as long as they could.  One of the firefighters felt it was ok to leave Steve when he saw that Steve's vital signs were strong. 

We are so very grateful to the selfless, altruistic, and benevolent men of Station 91 for their bravery and sacrifice.  With all our hearts, we thank you for everything you did and for sharing your stories with us today.

After speaking with the crew, the kids got to take a tour of the firehouse and the fire engine.  They tried on some fire fighting gear and then went for a ride in the fire engine.  What an incredible opportunity for all of us.  It was just an amazing day.  While standing outside, one of the firefighters approached me and simply and poignantly stated, "It wasn't his time to go."

Steve and I would like to lovingly and gratefully recognize the following firefighters, as they, and all firefighters, are truly American Heroes:

Captain Donald Darby, Firefighter David Johnson, Firefighter Christopher Horst, Firefighter Robert Ladd, Firefighter Daniel Liberto, and Firefighter Shane Hirsch