Hero or Fool you decide?!?!?

[Ace844]

(Fledgling EMT Saves Pregnant Woman From Burning SUV

POSTED: 5:23 pm EDT July 27 @ 2006 http://www.wftv.com/news/9587873/detail.html

TAMPA, Fla. Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Many emergency workers wait years for their first save. Wes Stevens got his before being hired.

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Stevens, 19, pulled a pregnant woman from a burning Jeep Cherokee that flipped after being hit in traffic Wednesday. An emergency technician in training, Stevens stopped, rushed to the Jeep and pulled 23-year-old Natasha Berry free of the wreckage as the undercarriage of her vehicle burned.

"It's kind of what I've been training for the past year and a half," said Stevens, who recently became a volunteer firefighter and has applied for a job with Tampa Fire Rescue.

Two others also were injured, including Berry's passenger, Adhanet Kidane, 22, who is five months pregnant.

Berry said in all the confusion she didn't remember who pulled her out, but she was grateful for Stevens' help.

"Thank God for him," she told the St. Petersburg Times. "You hear it on the news every day people don't make it out alive. I'm so happy everybody

(Fledgling EMT saves woman from burning SUV

an Associated Press report 07/28/06

TAMPA)

Many emergency workers wait years for their first save. Wes Stevens got his before being hired.

The 19 year old pulled a pregnant woman from a burning Jeep Cherokee that flipped after being hit in traffic Wednesday in Tampa.

Stevens is an emergency technician in training. He pulled over and rushed to get 23-year-old Natasha Berry out of the wreckage as the undercarriage of her vehicle burned.

Stevens says he's applied for a job with Tampa Fire Rescue and has been training for moments like this.

[AZCEP]

I'll say commend, but don't you have to be hired before you can be promoted?

Tough spot for the department he applied at. This kid could be the least qualified of the pool, and now he has a newsworthy save on everyone else.

Oh, right, public safety, helping others, blah, blah, blah :roll:

[ptemt]

I think your question "Hero or fool..." has already been decided....

"Thank God for him," she told the St. Petersburg Times. "You hear it on the news every day people don't make it out alive. I'm so happy everybody....

Qualitatively he is a hero. Subjectively he may not be.

[8151]

He made a split second decision when seconds counted. He stood in the face of the grim reaper and sucker punched him! He will make a fine FF. I think FDNY would love him too. Good job bro! :thumbleft:

[Ridryder 911]

Hmm I only believe every 10'th word that the press prints.. so it is the, a etc.. Too many rescue rangers out there, and I do wonder on the validity on the story. Okay he pulled someone out.. good give him a pat on the back, attaboy and 2 star of life decals of his choice that CANNOT be placed onto his car. This is what any person should do in any auto that is TRULY catching a fire.....

R/r 911

[paramedicmike]

So the victim doesn't remember who pulled her out? How did the press know it was him? Did he go about and say, "Hey! I pulled that lady from the car!"? Did people point him out and say, "He did it!"? I'm guessing then he stuck around long enough for the press to arrive?

He did what I'd hope any reasonable person would do in terms of helping her out of the vehicle. However, the fact that she doesn't remember it and he's talking to the press leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

My vote is "nice job but you're still a whacker". He'd have gotten the "hero" nod had he just slipped off into crowd without playing up what he did.

-be safe.

[emsdave]

Hmm I only believe every 10'th word that the press prints.. so it is the, a etc.. Too many rescue rangers out there, and I do wonder on the validity on the story. Okay he pulled someone out.. good give him a pat on the back, attaboy and 2 star of life decals of his choice that CANNOT be placed onto his car. This is what any person should do in any auto that is TRULY catching a fire.....

R/r 911

I agree Rid, the local press here printed a story of a guy barely escaping a car fire. I was there all I saw was the steam from the radiator.

[whit72]

Well done.

Hero vote in my book.

[Janmarie3]

I'm a firm believer in "Personal Safety First" but I also know that in the heat of the moment if you have the ability to save a life you will go beyond the call of duty to do that. If the media is correct on this I would say he was definitly a hero. At least he is to the women he pulled from burning vehicle. A mother will have her child and the child will have its mother because of him

[Ghettomedic351]

I believe that he started with good intentions, then he saw it as an opportunity to try and sell himself to Tampa Fire Rescue, and on that, things went to hell on the "hero" note. I agree he should have just slipped away in the crowd with a warm feeling.