Beyond the call of duty

Stories of heroism and bravery by Big Island rescue workers from Fire, EMS and Water Safety resonated throughout the evening at the Daniel R Sayre Memorial Foundation Awards Ceremony Saturday at the Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii. In its 18th year, the foundation honors exceptional Hawaii County Fire Department personnel for meritorious service above and beyond the call of duty.

Stories of heroism and bravery by Big Island rescue workers from Fire, EMS and Water Safety resonated throughout the evening at the Daniel R Sayre Memorial Foundation Awards Ceremony Saturday at the Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii. In its 18th year, the foundation honors exceptional Hawaii County Fire Department personnel for meritorious service above and beyond the call of duty.

This year’s honorees included Capt. Michael Andrade, Capt. Charles Spain, Fire Equipment Operator David Mahon, Fire Rescue Specialist Dustin Frechette, Fire Rescue Specialist Riley Young, Fire Rescue Specialist Lyle Tamaribuchi, Fire Rescue Specialist Carl Pires, firefighter Yurik Resetnikov and firefighter Tay Soares for their efforts in the recovery of a swimmer at Hapuna Beach; Water Safety Officer Jason Nixon for his rescue of a swimmer in distress; Fire Medical Specialist 2 Bertram Carvalho Jr. for his triage expertise in a severe motor vehicle accident involving multiple injuries; Fire Equipment Officer Donald Awa for his rescue of an assault victim and Battalion Chief Michael Hayashida and Fire Inspector Palani Kurashige for the rescue of a drowning child in a hotel pool.

In addition to the awards ceremony, the evening fundraiser included both a silent and live auction to raise money to purchase equipment on the department’s “wish list.”