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2. law enforcement
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Ashland, The Daily Press
FOR RESPONSE TO JAN. 27 CRASH
Apr
07
2015
Page
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RICK OLIVO/STAFF PHOTO
Members of the Ashland Fire Department shift that responded to the scene of a car/bus crash
south of Ashland on Jan. 27 were recognized for their efforts at last Tuesday’s City Council
meeting. They include (from left) Captain Scott Timm, Travis Alajoki, son of Lieutenant Kevin
Alajoki, out of town in training, Firefighter Nate Philipsky, Firefighter Rayne Edinger, Firefighter
Christopher Pribek, Firefighter Clay Kautzer, Firefighter Matt Spangler, Firefighter Dustin Hillgendorf, Chief Wayne Chenier. Missing was Firefighter Joy Wolley who was out on a call at the
time of the ceremony.
Firefighters honored
for rescue efforts
BY RICK OLIVO
STAFF WRITER
Members of the City
of Ashland Fire Department are used to doing
their jobs quietly, without a lot of fanfare.
It is enough for them
to know that there are
many people who are
alive today because
of their efforts — who
would not have been,
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paramedics not been
there at a very crucial
time. People rescued
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ical emergencies, pulled
from wrecked vehicles
and rescued from other
accidents.
Those who listen in on
their emergency services
radio scanners get some
insight into their every
day activities, most of
which are admittedly
pretty routine.
But every now and
then, something exceptional happens, something where a life or
several lives hang in the
balance.
One of those events
took place at about 3:50
p.m. on Jan. 27 south of
Ashland on State Highway 13. At a point just
RICK OLIVO/STAFF PHOTO
New Ashland firefighter/Paramedic Tony Feiter
has his shield pinned on by his father Dan
Feiter, himself a long time volunteer firefighter
for the Hartford Fire Department.
south of Redinger Road
a yellow Lake Shore
School bus was stopped
on the highway, red
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to discharge some school
children. There were 45
other kids on the bus.
Suddenly, without
warning, a black Toyota
sedan slammed into the
rear of the bus.
Miraculously, none
of the students in the
bus nor their driver
was hurt. However, the
driver of the Toyota,
a 49-year-old Ashland
man, was trapped in his
car, three-quarters of
which had been forced
underneath the bus, its
top peeled back like a
banana by for force of
the impact.
Within a few moments, the sounds of
sirens could be heard in
the distance as emergency responders raced
to the location.
For the uninitiated,
the scene looks like
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gear are everywhere,
hauling equipment,
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the accident, conferring.
But for those who
know what is going on, it
is anything but disorder.
Endless hours of training come into play, and
each man and woman is
a part of a team whose
individual players must
act in a coordinated,
professional and timely
manner if they are to
save lives. Each man or
woman must do their
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order for the carefully
SEE FIREFIGHTERS, PAGE 3
Property of Wisconsin News Tracker and members of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.
Ashland, The Daily Press
Apr
07
2015
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RICK OLIVO/STAFF PHOTO
Joe Belany has his new Lieutenant’s Shield
pinned on by wife Karen Belany.
Firefighters:
Three personnel
changes recognized
FROM PAGE 1
choreographed lifesaving
effort is to have a successful outcome.
And so it was at the
Redinger Road accident
scene. Power tools like
the Jaws of Life, generators and saw were
brought into play, while
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the ready stood by to take
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were to break out.
In less time than it
takes to describe what
was going on, the Jaws of
Life and other tools forced
the jammed doors open,
and the inert body of the
driver was painstakingly
extracted — alive, and
even semiconscious; a
very good sign.
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the man is placed into
a gurney, wheeled to an
ambulance and taken
to Memorial Medical
Center. Later he will
be taken by LifeLink
helicopter ambulance to a
Duluth hospital.
It will take two wreckers to pry the car out
from under the bus. It
does not seem possible
that anyone could have
survived such an accident.
But the victim not only
survived the crash. With
much medical care, he
continues to recover from
his injuries.
In a couple of aspects,
the victim was very
lucky; the crash could
have easily been immediately fatal. But he was
also lucky in that he had
the Ashland Fire Department in charge of his
rescue.
“The harm from this
tragic accident was minimized due to the professionalism and competence
of the responders who
took quick and decisive
action,” said Mayor Debra
Lewis last Tuesday at a
City Council meeting, as
members of the Ashland
Fire Department were
recognized for their lifesaving action in responding to the accident.
Lewis commended all
those who were involved
in the incident, including
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school district personnel,
and health professionals at Memorial Medical
Center.
“I have to tell you I am
very proud of these men
and women,” she said.
“We are so fortunate to
have each and every one
of them as part of the
team.”
Also praising the
response of the group
was Ashland Fire Chief
Wayne Chenier, who
observed that the unit’s
training came together at
the accident scene under
the leadership of Shift
Captain Scott Thimm.
“They knew what to do,
what needed to be done,”
he said. “We have worked
through these scenarios
before and it was like
clockwork.”
That is a product of rigorous training, of taking
personal responsibility
to develop professional
skills until they become
second nature.
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RICK OLIVO/STAFF PHOTO
Newly appointed Captain David Wegener is congratulated by his wife Stephanie following his
promotion ceremony to Captain.
say the same thing. ‘We
are just doing our job.’
But the thing that I come
away from this incident
is that it really riveted
the community. It really
made the point to a lot
of people that this could
have been a really horULÀFWUDJHG\%XWLWGLGQ·W
happen that way. All the
things that these men
and women have trained
for has paid off. We saved
an individual’s life. On
this particular day I had
a lot more appreciation
for our staff and how
they do their duties every
day.”
Chenier said that
level of professional
competence was a source
of comfort for the community, especially in a
situation that affected so
many.
“There were a lot of
very frightened people,”
he said.
The recognition of the
Jan. 27 shift was just one
of the events that took
place at last Tuesday’s
council meeting.
Three personnel changes were recognized, including g the completion
of the one-year probationDU\SHULRGIRUÀUHÀJKWHU
paramedic Tony Fester,
who joined the Department as a regular AFD
member. A graduate
of Waukesha County
Technical College with an
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science, Feiter also holds
a paramedic degree from
Moraine Park Technical
College, and is a former
member of the Hartford
Fire Department. His
father Dan Feiter, a
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Fire Department, pinned
his AFD Badge on at the
ceremony inducting him
into the AFD.
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Joe Belany, who began
his career as an AshODQGSROLFHRIÀFHUDQG
became an Ashland Fire
Department paid on call
member, was hired by the
department in March of
2008. Last December he
was promoted to lieutenant, and he now serves
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and is in charge of radio
communications. His
promotion was recognized
last Tuesday as his wife
Karen pinned on his new
shield.
Another promotion was
that of David Wegner,
who began his career
with the department in
2003 and was promoted
to Lieutenant in 2007.
Wegner, who is in charge
of the ice rescue program,
maintenance of the AFD
ÁHHWDQGKDVDGGHGHPHUgency preparedness to
his list of responsibilities,
had his new Captain’s
shield pinned on by his
wife Stephanie.
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the Department was presented by Marengo Valley
School teacher Michelle
Pufall who brought a
hand-made card of appreciation from the staff and
students at the school.
Many of those on the bus
involved in the accident
were from Marengo Valley School.
“It is a thank you from
all of the students and
teachers,” she said.
Rick Olivo can be
reached at [email protected]
Property of Wisconsin News Tracker and members of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.