The honorees are Advanced Emergency Medical Technician Tia Woeste, Paramedic Brian Egemo, Lt. Devon Schuster, Firefighter/Paramedic Nick Ruhland, Firefighter/EMT Taryn Sutton and Matt Hanson, a fitness instructor at The Rec in Fort Dodge.

The award was presented at a ceremony and retiree breakfast at the firehouse, 1515 Central Ave.

The Lifesaving Award is presented to crews that resuscitate a cardiac arrest patient who lives to go home from the hospital.

Fire Chief Matt Price said the incident happened July 31, 2024, at The Rec when a 19-year-old man collapsed. He said Hanson immediately began CPR.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Fire Department Lt. Devon Schuster, right, received the Chief Willard Whitcombe Award from Fire Chief Matt Price Wednesday.

A fire truck with Schuster, Ruhland and Sutton aboard arrived first. Price said that team defibrillated the patient.

The ambulance with Egemo and Woeste aboard had a longer response because they had just delivered a patient to UnityPoint Health -Trinity Regional Medical Center. They joined the others to perform advanced life support measures.

The patient was taken to the hospital, and after a long recovery, was discharged.

Other awards were presented as well.

Schuster received the Chief Willard Whitcome Award, which honors a Fire Department member known for treating the public and co-workers with the greatest respect while being selfless in service to the community.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Fort Dodge Fire Chief Matt Price, left, presents the Chief Harry Callahan Award to Firefighter/Paramedic Kasey Porter.

Price described Schuster as “a consistent figure around here who embodies the spirit of putting the mission above himself.”

Firefighter/Paramedic Kasey Porter received the Chief Harry Callahan Award, which is presented to a department member known for being skillful and innovative.

Price said Porter enrolled in an auto mechanics program at Iowa Central Community College so that he could be better at helping maintain department vehicles. He said Porter also became a self contained breathing apparatus technician.

Five new members of the department were sworn in during the event. They are Firefighter Irad Moreno, Firefighter/EMT Trey Nelson, EMT Valerie Thompson, Firefighter/EMT Zachary Rossmanith and Firefighter/EMT Collin Wheat.

The two most recent Fire Department retirees, Fire Chief Steve Hergenreter and Firefighter Tim Pille, were recognized during the event.