Aurora Rotary - First Responders

Luncheon to honor police officers, fire fighters, and EMT, for acts of heroism and going above and beyond the call of duty to serve our community.

Steve Brunston, Joe Little, Doug Evans, Chief Dan Oates, and Lieutenant Bob Stef accept $10,000 contribution to the Reward Fund.

Steve Brunston, one of the originators of the Reward Fund, reported that The Reward Fund has been effective in garnering tips that have led to arrests. The fund has been depleted and needs additional contributions. Joe Little, owner of Body Beautiful Collision Repair, furnished envelopes at every place with a form to facilitate contributions. Joe will match contributions up to $1,000.

Steve Marshall, retired commander from the Aurora Police Department, acted as MC reading the citations for the awardees. Steve reported that in 2009 there were 200,000 police calls, 32,000 fire and 32,000 EMT calls.

John Walsh, United States Attorney District of Colorado, spoke about the outstanding cooperation at all levels of law enforcement that interdicted and arrested Sazi, the terrorist that lived in Aurora and was intent on blowing up the New York subway system. He congratulated the awardees quoting Teddy Roosevelt: "Working hard at work worth doing". Law enforcement is a calling making it more than a career.

EMT Michael Curtiswas returning from a non-emergency call when he and his partner came on an emergency scene of a motorcycle accident. The victim was unconscious. Unseen were the internal injuries suffered. Their prompt action and care got the victim to the hospital in time for emergency surgery to repair his ruptured aorta and save his life.

EMT Julian Eighmyresponded to a call of a man in cardiac arrest. By the time they arrived at the scene the victim had no pulse and was clinically dead. Julian took over CPR. It is very difficult to administer medicine and perform CPR. Julian performed CPR over twice as long as usual and brought back the patients pulse. Julian is credited with saving his life.

Telecommunicator Ethel Nelsontook a 911 call of an individual with a gun threatening to commit suicide. Officers arrived and worked to negotiate a peaceful end to the standoff. While they were doing that, Ethel received another call from inside the house from a teen reporting that he had been shot in the chest while sleeping. In addition, he said his dad had been shot and was believed dead. Ethel remained calm and supportive. The teen was rescued and the suspect was taken into custody.

Fire Captain Jon Hillat Fire Station 2 serves as the Operations Officer for both Hazardous Materials and Wildland Firefighting response. Through Jon's leadership an appropriate level of wildland firefighting response was identified and established. Additionally, a regional response team was developed to assist communities with limited resources to combat a significant wildland fire. Jon has been deployed to several wildland fires where his response team worked to save lives and property.

Lieutenant Laure Bridges,an 18 year veteran of the fire department, is assigned to the Emergency Services Division as the fire department Staffing Officer. She is directly responsible for staffing 284 firefighters of the division. She was responsible for implementing the "Flex Shift" that has saved the department money and also increased morale.

Sergeant Christopher Poppewas honored for the significant role he played in the arrest of an armed and dangerous serial robber. The bandit was labeled the "Band-Aid Bandit" because he wore a band-aid on his nose. Sergeant Poppe recognized a vehicle that was used as a getaway vehicle. He talked to the driver, a lady, and got an address. He organized surveilance on the residence and the individual was arrested. Subsequent evidence identified the perpertrator as the Band-Aid bandit solving 9 robberies.

Chief Dan Oates, Det. John Nagengast, SAC JIm Davis (Denver FBI) and (not identified)

Officers Luke Mossburgh, Patrick McGinty, and Joseph Duranwere the first to arrive at a structure, an apartment building, engulfed in flames and heavy smoke. They kicked in the front door and discovered a victim covered with debris. They pulled him out. Tragically, he died. They continued their search and evacuated a number of other residents.

Chief Oates and Lt. Paul O'keefe supervisor receiving award for Officer Gallegos.

Officer Dave Gallegosof the Aurora Police Department Gang Intervention unit is assigned to the Project Safe Neighborhood Task Force. Officer Gallegos was involved in two investigations, OperationSudden Impact and Operation Cripland. The investigations resulted in the arrest of a number of gang members and the solving of a number of homicides.

Detective Warren Miller, has been assigned to the Major Crimes/Homicide Unit since 2006. Detective Miller is being honored for his persistant pursuit and arrest and conviction of several gang members.

Luncheon to honor police officers, fire fighters, and EMT, for acts of heroism and going above and beyond the call of duty to serve our community

The City of Aurora Honor Guard presented the colors and opened the ceremonies.

President Susan presided in her normal exemplary manner of smoothness and poise.

Michael Rankin, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the Denver Division of the FBI.

Agent Rankin spoke of some of the foreign assignments he has had in helping Iraqis and Afghanis collect intelligence without resorting to torture. He particulary praised Chief Oates and the Aurora Police Department for their help in surveiling and apprehending Naji Bullah Sazi, who had trained in Pakistan in making bombs out of easily obtained salon chemicals. He had practiced making the bombs in a hotel room in Aurora. He allegedly planned to blow up the New York Subway system in the same manner that was used in London.

One of the major changes since 9/11 is the improvement of information sharing between agencies.

Dave Williams, Chairman of the Aurora Civil Service Commission presided on a post humous award to fellow Civil Service Commissioner Jan Raskin who passed away this Thanksgiving Day.

Chief Oates congratulates Sgt. Joe Young for rescuing two toddlers from their father who had just murdered their mother.

Sgt. Gary Reno received an award for saving and resuscitating a lady who had tried to commit suicide by hanging herself.

Officer Frank Fania followed up on a cold murder case that happened in 2004. He coordinated a search that located and apprehended Tommy Halfacre in Kansas City, Mo.

Officer David Pearson was honored for valor in stopping a suspect that opened fire on him and his partner. His supervisor Sgt. Craig Baumfalk received the award in the absence of Officer Pearson.

EMS Captain Kevin Moffitt, EMS Med 2 Tom McKay, Chief Garcia, EMS 2 Floyd Salazar, Med 2 Drew Baske. Not pictured EMS Manager Kevin Waters.

The Emergency Medical Services has developed improved training that uses best practices in Cardiac Alert, Smoke Alert, and Therapeutic Induced Hypothermia programs that have saved more lives in the first seven months of 2009 than in the previous 3 years combined.

Fire Chief Mike Garcia presented a team award to Truck Company 2, Firefighter Wayne Lashley, Firefighter Pete Ellis, Captain Nancy Reublin, and Engineer Brian Good. Company 2 was doing driver training when they detected smoke coming from a mobil home park. They found a mobil home engulfed in flames with a frantic individual trapped inside. They were able to extract the individual and defensively fight the fire until backup arrived.

Fire Code Inspection Bureau Lieutenant Steve Beumer received the award for assisting the Double Tree in remaining open after an electrical fire took out the emergency lighting system. The hotel would have had to be evacuated if Lieutenant Beumer hadn't devised a program where people would be stationed on each floor to provide emergency lighting in the case of an additional emergency,

Lieutenant Beumer acted quickly to get a sufficient number of off-duty fire department employees to implement the response plan.

Manager Mike Bedwell presented the award to Telecommunicator 1 Gustavo "Gus" Chavez. He took a 911 call that a baby had stopped breathing and was turning blue. Gus calmly and effectively gave instructions on how to perform CPR to the caller that relayed the information to the person doing the actual resuscitation on the baby.

The bridge of trust created by Gus and embraced by the caller in this intense emergency saved the baby's life.

Dave Patterson of Rural Metro Ambulance presented the award to Scott Rodriguez who has been recognized as the "Paramedic of the Year" for the state of Colorado.

Dave presented the award to Paramedic Dan Jensen who works in the Aurora 911 system supervising Rural/Metro "B" shift EMT's and Paramedics. Dan likes helping people and appreciates the intellectual challenge of pre-hospital medicine.

Group picture of Aurora Police, Metro Ambulance, and Public Safety honorees.

Luncheon to honor policemen, fire fighters, and EMT, for acts of heroism and going above and beyond the call of duty to serve our community.

The Committee: Sheila Martin, Dave Williams, Howard Hall, Doug Evans, Ken Hostetler, and Joe and Janeen Little.

Local police, firefighters, emergency medical technicians honored

By BRANDON JOHANSSON
The Aurora Sentinel

AURORA | The Aurora financial crimes detective who last spring led an investigation into one of the biggest identity theft rings in the metro area’s history was one of a handful of Aurora police, firefighters and emergency medical technicians honored last week by the Rotary Club of Aurora.

Detective Mike Leiker was honored for his work on the case, which police said was one of the most complicated and massive identity theft cases the department had investigated.

Leiker, who grew up in Aurora and has worked economic crimes for the department for more than a decade, said the award was an honor.

“I was very happy to accept this on behalf of the work this unit did,” he said.

Sgt. Bob Wehmer, who oversees the department Economic Crimes Unit, said the case was a challenging one for police.

“The amount of evidence they had to go through was huge,” he said. “These are difficult cases to work.”

Wehmer said Leiker’s knowledge of fraud cases and his connections with other law enforcement agencies in the area were a big asset to the department during the investigation.

In May, police announced that the investigation had netted 20 indictments.

Police say the group stole more than $400,000 from 472 victims around the metro area, often stealing purses and wallets from cars parked at dog parks and fitness centers and using the personal information to steal identities.

The group spent the money on living expenses and lavish televisions, police said, but the primary motivator for the thefts was to get money to fuel the group’s methamphetamine habit.

Aurora police led the investigation, with 10 detectives working full time on 219 cases. Denver police and the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office also investigated the ring.

Eight of the 20 people were charged under the Colorado Organized Crime Act, police said.

In addition to stealing from cars, the group also stole checks from apartment drop boxes and altered the checks so they could cash them, police said. The group also used fake documents to take out payday loans.

The department also honored Officer Edward Acuti who officials say saved an infant last May.

Acuti responded to a home May 21 and found the child’s uncle trying to resuscitate the baby after he fell under the water in a bath tub.

Acuti realized that the uncle, who was on the phone with 911, was too distraught to help the child so he stepped in and performed CPR.

The baby was taken to a hospital and survived. Doctors said the baby would have died if Officer Acuti hadn’t acted quickly.

The club also honored Lt. Sam McGhee and Lt. Jim Puscian for their work on last summer’s Democratic National Convention in Denver and Sgt. Tim Holt for pulling over a man who was suspected of a plot against President-elect Barack Obama.

At the luncheon where the officers and other emergency responders were honored last week, Ron Perea, U.S. Secret Service special agent in charge of Colorado, commended Aurora police for their work on the DNC and for the department’s handling of the alleged threat to Obama.

Other public safety employees honored by Rotary for their work were:

• Christopher Hogg, a 911 dispatcher at the Aurora Public Safety Communications Center;

• City Manager Ron Miller;

• Ian Farrell, an EMT Basic with Rural Metro Ambulance;

• Tiffany Berg, an EMT Basic with Rural Metro Ambulance;

• Aurora fire paramedic Lt. Roy Seaton;

• Aurora fire Capt. Douglas Neisen;

• Aurora fire Lt. Stephen Mills

• Aurora fire Capt. Mark Hays;

• Aurora fire Lt. Richard Mashek.

Position	Name	Time to Arrive
Room Setup
1	Howard Hall	10:30 a.m.
2	Jeff Apitz	10:30 a.m.
3	Debbie Lynch	10:30 a.m.
4	Tom Nicholas	10:30 a.m.

Audio/Visual Setup
1	Ben Keyes	10:45 a.m.
2	Tom Nicholas

Check In Tables
1	Doug Anthony	11:00 a.m.
2	Marci Sis	11:00 a.m.
3	Angela Huttun-Howard	11:00 a.m.
4	Wendy DeBell	11:00 a.m.

Greeters/Herders
1	Debbie Lynch	11:00 a.m.
2	Jim Rogers	11:00 a.m.
3	Jerry Allen	11:00 a.m.
4	Chuck Cluster	11:00 a.m.
5	Christine Hoppee	11:00 a.m.
6	Ron Maclachlan	11:00 a.m.
7	Susan Perkins	11:00 a.m.

Awards Table
1	Shelia Martin	10:30 a.m.
2	Tom Nicholas

Tables	Table Sponsor Name
Row 1 T 1	Commerce Bank
Row 1 T 2	Rural Metro of Central Colorado
Row 1 T 3	M&M Auto Reconditioning Inc.
Row 1 T 4	Aurora Rotary President'sTable
Row 1 T 5	SAM's
Row 1 T 6	Aurora Police Chief's
Row 1 T 7	Aurora Fire Administration
Row 2 T 8	Doug Evans State Farm Insurance
Row 2 T 9	Aurora Police Special Operations Bureau
Row 2 T 10	Public Safety Communications
Row 2 T 11	Lupus Foundation of Colorado
Row 2 T 12	Cherry Creek School District
Row 2 T 13	Aurora Civil Service Commission
Row 2 T 14	Aurora Police District 3
Row 3 T 15	Perkins Ruschena LLC
Row 3 T 16	Aurora Fire Fighters Association
Row 3 T 17	Aurora Police Association
Row 3 T 18	Citywide Bank
Row 3 T 19	Fraternal Order of Police
Row 3 T 20	Aurora Police Investigations Bureau
Row 3 T 21	Kraus Enterprises
Row 4 T 22	First Bank
Row 4 T 23	Advantage/Colorado Insurance
Row 4 T 24	Aurora Gateway Rotary
Row 4 T 25	CCA/CCA Foundation
Row 4 T 26	Wells Fargo
Row 4 T 27	Lend Lease
Row 4 T 28	Aurora Chamber of Commerce
Row 5 T 29	Lachian Inc. Rotary Members
Row 5 T 30	Bob Broom, Council Member Honor Guard
Row 5 T 31	Adolfson and Peterson Construction
Row 5 T 32	Aurora Rotary Table
Row 5 T 33	Aurora Rotary Table

Local police, firefighters, emergency medical technicians honored

By BRANDON JOHANSSONThe Aurora Sentinel

By BRANDON JOHANSSON
The Aurora Sentinel