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2006 PSEC Awards
Recipient List
Civilian Service Award-
Robert Turkington. Paramedic
Student riding with UCHC Fire Dept the day of Avon Mountain Crash.
Assisted in stabilizing scene and providing EMT level of care.
Assisted UCHC greatly throughout incident.
Unit Citation-
Uconn Fire Dept.
FF Christopher J. Alexander, FF Mark D.
Holland, Lt. Shawn Covell, Cpt. Francis P. Raiola Jr.. For
extraordinary acts during a structure fire at an apartment complex.
Raiola and Alexander held back the raging fire with an inadequate
water supply while Covell and Holland each cut a trench cut in the
roof to evacuate heat. Unit saved large amount of property damage
from fire.
Uconn Health Center Fire Dept.
FF Thomas J. Clynch, FF Victor P. Morrone,
FF John A. Pickert, FF Daryl O. Byrne, Lt. Christopher J. Brewer,
Capt. Robert D. Farmer. For extraordinary cohesiveness as a unit
and commitment to duty during a mass casualty incident at a multiple
vehicle collision on Avon Mountain where there were several
fatalities and numerous injured persons, vehicle fires, and property
damage.
Uconn Police Department
Ofc. Ketan A. Padalia, Det. Darren M. Cook,
MSgt. Douglas W. Bartolomeo, MSgt. Frank Colonese III. For
cooperation and discretion during a complaint of a man with a gun in
a dormitory building in which a man with an apparent firearm
initially refused to drop the weapon upon officers’ commands. The
firearm was later found to be a facsimile of a Desert Eagle .50
caliber handgun which was actually a lighter.
Sgt. Daniel Cruz, Ofc. Kevin L. Snow (now at
ECSU PD). For poise and discretion during a stressful call of a
man with knives in a schoolyard. Due to a complete language and
cultural barrier the man, visiting campus from China, did not
understand the officers commands to drop the knives and cleaver as
he approached a school recreation yard full of high school
students. The officers were able to eventually disarm the man
without utilizing deadly force after a prolonged and unusual
interaction.
Ofc. Ketan A. Padalia, Ofc. Levoy E. Baker (Ret’d).
For successful de-escalation of an incident where a man
discharged a handgun inside of a laundry mat adjacent to campus.
Ofc. Padalia was still on Field Training and had not yet attended
the police academy. Ofc. Baker was his Training Officer. Both men
were able to take the armed man, whose weapon was concealed, into
custody without resorting to deadly force options.
Meritorious Service-
Bradley Airport Police Department
Sgt. Dean Marino. For dedication and
commitment to charity and the promotion of cooperation between his
coworkers. Sgt. Marino has held a seat on the board of Bradley
Family Day Incorporated for 5 years. This group holds three events
annually which benefit the Hole In The Wall Gang Camp. Over 10
years this group has raised in excess of $300,000 for children with
terminal illnesses. Sgt. Marino is continually a motivating force
in coordinating, promoting, and working these events.
UConn Health Center Fire Department
FF Benjamin P. Sonstrom. For courage and
dedication both on and off-duty in his efforts as one of the state’s
only Tactical Medics. FF Sonstrom is a paramedic who trains between
8 and 20 hours per week on his own time to provide medical support
for various police tactical teams. His role is to enter the scene
with the SWAT officers and provide immediate medical response for
the officers. His efforts assist in building solidarity between
police and fire services.
UConn Police Department
Sgt. Hans D. Rhynhart. For excellent
performance in an undercover function to investigate a ring of drug
dealers on campus. Sgt. Rhynhart stepped out of his normal
uniformed patrol function and went undercover on a lengthy
assignment that led to 8 arrests for numerous charges of narcotics
violations on several individuals. Sgt. Rhyhart spent long hours
away from his family and even spent countless nights in a ‘cover
house’ to maintain his secrecy
Selfless Service
Uconn Health Center Fire Department.
FF. Francis E. Brunet. For career-ending
shoulder injuries sustained during a neo-natal rescue.
FF. Pamela E. Manzione. For
career-ending injuries sustained during a neo-natal rescue.
FF. Alfred Van Alstyne Jr. For
career-ending back injuries sustained during a neo-natal rescue.
Lifesaving Awards-
Bronze-
Uconn Police Department.
Ofc. Paul F. Osella, Ofc. Dawn M. Tomalonis.
For extraordinary commitment to duty and service in a search for a
woman screaming for help. They found the woman approximately 100
yards into the woods in a stream. The intoxicated woman was in a
stream during the winter. Ofc. Tomalonis found the woman and Ofc.
Osella entered the water to rescue the woman and carried her to a
nearby parking lot where she was transported to the hospital.
Doctors estimated another 10-20 minutes of exposure would have
resulted in her death.
Bradley Airport Fire Department
Captain Guy W. Henry. For diligent
response to a heart attack victim. Upon arrival Capt. Henry
attempted to resuscitate the patient with an Automated External
Defibrillator. The AED failed to work. Capt. Henry rapidly sought
out a new device and, after much searching, found another at a
nearby post office. He returned to the victim and was able to
successfully revive the patient prior to transport to a hospital.
Department of Motor Vehicles
Inspector Richard J. Sabonis. Inspector
Sabonis was administering a routine school bus operator exam when he
saw a car on the side of the road with smoke pouring out of the
passenger compartment. He ran to the vehicle and told the male
occupant to exit. The man did so holding a burning rag and a
two-gallon can of gasoline. He was attempting to complete suicide.
Insp. Sabonis contacted 911 and returned to the bus to get a fire
extinguisher only to find, upon his return to the burning car, that
the man had re-entered the vehicle. Insp. Sabonis again told the
man to exit. The man did so, this time wielding a large knife. The
man began cutting himself saying “you stopped me once, but he [Insp.
Sabonis] would not stop him again. The unarmed inspector then
secured the bus driver and testing agent when New Britain Police
arrived and restrained the man. Through Insp. Sabonis’ efforts
during this unusual and potentially hazardous situation he was able
to stop the man from completing suicide.
Silver-
Eastern CT State University Police Department
Ofc. Freddy Torres (now at DMV as an
Inspector). Ofc. Torres responded to a passerby complaint of a
car fire. Ofc. Torres located the burning and overturned vehicle on
the Route 6 connector. Ofc. Torres found a man trapped inside. He
quickly went into the vehicle and pulled the man to safety and then
began administering aid while his fellow officer George Winter
extinguished the fire.
Gold-
UConn Police Department/ UConn Fire Department
Det. Peter W. Meshanic, FF. Christine Chaulk-Snow
(Ret’d), FF Scott Ellis (now at Thomsponville FD). For saving an
unconscious male student who was immersed in human wastewater at the
UConn Wastewater Treatment Facility. The man had climbed two fences
to enter the facility and fallen approximately 10 feet into sewage.
Det. Mashanic, FF. Chaulk-Snow, and FF Ellis each immediately and
selflessly entered the contaminated wastewater with no regard to
their own safety to rescue the man.
UConn Health Center Fire Department-
FF. Thomas J. Clynch, FF. Victor Morrone.
For brave and dedicated response to the crash on Avon Mountain.
They arrived and immediately began pulling victims from a burning
vehicle. They then began assessing patients and were able to locate
a man in full cardiac arrest. They were able to successfully revive
the man, who is alive today. They also stood by for comfort of a
woman during a prolonged extrication, providing solace in a
frightening situation.
Medal of Valor-
UConn Police Department-
Ofc. Darrell C. Dublin. Ofc. Dublin, who
is assigned to the Waterbury Campus substation, responded to a
structure fire just off of campus. Upon his arrival he and a
Waterbury Police Officer learned of a woman trapped on the third
floor of the burning building. Without any regard to his own safety,
Ofc. Dublin and the Waterbury Officer ran up the fire escape to the
woman’s residence. They entered the building and removed the
elderly woman to safety. Despite being badly burned, the woman is
alive today due to Ofc. Dublin’s valiant efforts.
UConn Fire Department-
FF Scott E. McDonald. For acts of
bravery in assisting a police officer in distress. FF. McDonald was
at a medical call when a large and drunken male interjected
himself. The police were called and an officer arrived. When the
officer attempted to place the man in custody, a fight ensued. Due
to the slippery conditions at the time, the struggle went to the
ground and the officer found himself on his back, with the man on
top of him. FF. McDonald saw the man draw his hand back in an
attempt to beat the prone officer or potentially reach for the
officer’s sidearm. FF. McDonald stepped out of his normal role and
tackled the man off of the officer. FF. McDonald grappled with the
man, who was much larger than he, until backup police officers
arrived and took the man into custody. His heroic actions stopped a
potentially deadly situation from escalating and prevented the
continued assault on a police officer.
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