DETROIT (WXYZ) — Nov. 1, 2023 is a day 28 of Detroit’s finest will always remember. They were honored for their heroism in moments they’ll never forget.
For senior firefighter Michael Risher, that moment came on May 25 just after 7 a.m. at the Alden Towers apartments as smoke filled the air above, around and inside the eight-story building.
“We immediately went into search-and-rescue mode," Risher said. "It was a fully occupied apartment building.”
Risher and his team found seven people trapped in their rooms who were all struggling to breathe.
“What I did is took my mask off, put it on them, got them to the stairway and we repeated the process until we got everybody out,” Risher said.
For firefighter Jeneral Huckleby, his moment came on April 7 as he arrived at another apartment building near La Salle Boulevard and Davidson Street that was fully engulfed in flames.
“We pull up, people are already jumping out of the building," Huckleby recalled. "People are already on the ground screaming.”
With residents hanging out of their windows, Huckleby and his team got buckets in the air and he used a 16-foot ladder to pull a woman out of the burning building. Eleven people were hospitalized, but there were no fatalities.
“We got her down safely and then we went on to save everybody else in the building pretty much,” said Huckleby.
For Detroit Police Department Officer Paul Sweppy, life hasn’t been the same since responding to a burglary in progress on Aug. 11.
“Somebody took off running, firing shots at us trying to get away... I was hit by one of those shots,” Sweppy said. "A lot of physical therapy, a lot of surgeries, a lot of recovery.”
Sweepy was shot in the leg and has been off the job since. He received a purple heart and medal of valor. It's something he’s able to do because of those who had his back that day. His fellow officers on that call, Christina Messina and Joseph Haggard, also received a medal of valor. Hagard was able to apply a tourniquet to Sweppy's leg.
“I was just really thankful my partners were there with me and were real good partners," Sweppy said. "Rendered aid to me, got me the treatment that I needed to not die.”
If you asked the 28 honorees, the true reward comes from hearing the thank-you's from Detroiter’s like Carlee Drouillard.
Drouillard interviewed with 7 Action News on May 25 at the scene of the Alden Towers apartment fire. It turns out she was one of the people Risher helped to save.
“The firefighters came up and put the big mask on us, taught us how to breath,” Drouillard said. "He was my hero, personally. He’s over there, tears in his eyes, having water, the smoke on his face, everything you see in the movies, and I can not thank him more.”
In the end, it’s not just an award or date on the calendar these first responders will remember but rather the people they helped. Knowing they are alive today because of them is an award unlike any other.
“I guess that's the rewarding part of the job. Every once in a while, you do something and you get to smile a little bit about it and go wow, that was some pretty cool stuff,'" Risher said. "Throughout my career, I've had a few rescues, and you always look back on it."
Here's a full list of those honored:
Detroit Fire Department
Medal of Valor Recipients:
- Lt. Ronnel Best
- Firefighter Justin Ebe
- Lt. Robert Bittikofer
- Firefighter Jeneral Huckleby
Emergency Medical Merit Recipients
- Paramedic William Cross
- Paramedic William Campbell
Detroit Police Department
Medal of Valor Recipients:
- Officer Ryan Ruloff
- Officer Naveed Bajpai
- Officer Scott Povish
- Officer Brandyn Patton
- Officer Juan Vargas
- Officer Raul Martinez
- Sgt. Kevin Briggs
- Sgt Joseph Ceravolo
- Sgt. Robert Stankiewicz
- Sgt. Paul Knapp
- Officer Joshua Dennard
- Officer Jacob Goodman
- Officer Joseph Haggard
- Officer Christina Messina
- Officer Paul Sweppy
- Officer Joshua Holder
Purple Heart Recipients:
- Officer Sara Kalicki
- Officer Angelina Tius
- Officer Paul Sweppy
