Fire Station 17 Capt. Rudy Iturrino (center) receives the Team Performance Award from Fairfax County Fire Chief John Butler (left) and Deputy Chief John Walser (right). Photo Courtesy of Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Dept.
From left, Fairfax County Fire Chief John Butler, Fire Station 21 Capt. Brenden Petersburg (receiving the Unit Citation) and Deputy Chief John Walser.Photo Courtesy of Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Dept.
During a ceremony earlier this month, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department celebrated some of the accomplishments and contributions of its members. Among those feted were firefighters from Centreville Fire Station 17, West Centreville Fire Station 38 and Fair Oaks Fire Station 21.
Team Performance Award
Members of Fire Station 17 in Centreville received a Team Performance Award recognizing each member of a team who was key to the success of an initiative, project or nonemergency incident.
In March, Engine 417 and Medic 417 were dispatched for a medical emergency. Upon arrival, they found a patient choking and not breathing. Units began performing the Heimlich maneuver when the patient went into cardiac arrest.
Working as an efficient and effective team, E417 and M417 began resuscitation efforts. Enroute to the hospital, the patient began breathing without support and survived neurologically intact. Honored for their actions were:
Capt. Rudy Iturrino (FS17, Centreville, A-Shift); Lt. Matthew Louzonis (FS17, Centreville, A-Shift); EMS Technician Matthew Arbuckle (FS17, Centreville, A-Shift); Firefighter David Bulaski (FS38, West Centreville, A-Shift); Firefighter Chris Ong-Hay (FS17, Centreville, A-Shift); and Firefighter Brianna Rhoads (FS17, Centreville, A-Shift).
Unit Citations
Members of both Fire Station 17 in Centreville and Fire Station 21 in Fair Oaks received a Unit Citation acknowledging their “superior execution of duties and performance” at the scene of an emergency incident. It was issued for their heroic work during an incident that occurred between August and December 2022.
Recognized were:
Capt. Rudy Iturrino, Lt. Matthew Louzonis, EMS Technician Matthew Arbuckle, Technician Hyun Kang and Firefighter Thomas Williams Jr. from Station 17 in Centreville; plus Capt. Brenden Petersburg, TROT Technician Louis Botha, and TROT Technician Justin Roach from Station 21 in Fair Oaks, for their response to a house fire during which they rescued an injured person and a dog.