Both a Crestwood resident and the city’s fire department were honored with awards recently at the Nov. 28 Crestwood Board of Aldermen meeting: a Life Saving Award and a Greater St. Louis Fire Chief Award.

Life Saving Award

The first award presented was a Life Saving Award given to Crestwood resident Thomas Blanke for his heroic response during a cardiac arrest emergency in March.

While playing pickleball in the St. Raymond – St. Elizabeth’s school gym, Crestwood resident Steve Hurst began going into cardiac arrest. Luckily, Blanke, a doctor, was there that afternoon and immediately recognized the signs.

He began doing CPR and used an automated external defibrillator to restart Hurst’s heart, working nonstop until the Crestwood EMS crew arrived at the scene. Hurst was then stabilized and rushed to the hospital.

“Sometimes our heroes may think about this as duty, or doing what they’re trained to do, but coming from someone who experienced their efforts, I see a completely different picture,” Hurst said. “I am alive because these men applied their knowledge, training and experience, and as a result deserve our heartfelt thanks and appreciation. The award tonight was a small recognition of their life-saving work.”

Blanke was presented with a plaque and Crestwood Fire Capt. Chris Johnson and Crestwood Fire Lt. Kevin Beussink were given certificates recognizing their valiant efforts that day.

Greater St. Louis Fire Chief Award

Next, the Greater St. Louis Fire Chief Award was presented to the C Crew of the Crestwood Fire Department for its rescue of a victim from an Affton house fire in April. Unfortunately, the members of C Crew were unable to attend the meeting due to work and other conflicts, though Johnson received the plaque on their behalf.

The house fire occurred in a home in the 8300 block of South Laclede Station Road at approximately 9 p.m. The Affton Fire Department arrived at the scene first, closely followed by the Shrewsbury and Crestwood Fire Departments. In total, seven different departments ended up helping with this emergency.

The captain of the Affton crew told the other two crews there at the time – Shrewsbury and Crestwood – that he was advised by a neighbor that there was a victim trapped on the second floor at the back right side of the house. The crews entered the building, encountering heavy smoke and heat conditions, and made their way to the supposed location of the victim. They searched the room to no avail; there was no victim there.

As the Crestwood crew was exiting the room, they found another door and entered that room, finding the victim in seconds. They brought him outside, and he was rushed to the hospital. Unfortunately, he did not survive due to smoke inhalation, “but every effort was made to give him every chance.”

From the time of the call to the time the victim was removed from the house was a mere nine minutes, something “that’s almost unheard of,” according to Crestwood Fire Chief Leo Meyer.