NAWILIWILI — The Kaua‘i County Council on Wednesday commended Kaua‘i Fire Department firefighters and helicopter pilot Ken D’Attilio after KFD Rescue 3 earned the 2010 International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Benjamin Franklin Fire Service Award for Valor. Capts. Charles Metivier
NAWILIWILI — The Kaua‘i County Council on Wednesday commended Kaua‘i Fire Department firefighters and helicopter pilot Ken D’Attilio after KFD Rescue 3 earned the 2010 International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Benjamin Franklin Fire Service Award for Valor.
Capts. Charles Metivier and Kalani Abreu were joined by Fire Fighter II Roy Constantino and Francisco Garcia in accepting the commendation from the council at its meeting, Wednesday, at Council Chambers in Nawiliwili. D’Attilio, who worked closely with the rescue personnel on the mission, was also commended in a certificate authored by Councilman Derek Kawakami.
Members of Rescue 3 accepted the Benjamin Franklin award in Chicago, Ill., on Aug. 26. The award, presented annually at the Fire-Rescue International global forum, honors firefighters for their training, service and dedication in saving lives.
Kaua‘i’s community heroes, including the personnel of the Kaua‘i Fire Department, put their lives on the line on a daily basis to safeguard the health and lives of the community, the council members said.
The presentation was a demonstration of what Council Chair Bill “Kaipo” Asing labeled “the bond of confidence” in action. The firefighters spoke of their ability to concentrate on the mission at hand because of the confidence they had in D’Attilio’s piloting skills and abilities.
D’Attilio’s involvement in the Aug. 1, 2009, incident involving the rescue of two individuals from an ultra-light aircraft mishap in Hanapepe Valley was instrumental in the favorable outcome of the mission, said Ashley Bunda of Council Services in an e-mail.
During that afternoon, Rescue 3 and Air-1 pilot D’Attilio battled gusty winds, rain, white outs from clouds and an 80-degree sloped terrain to rescue ultra-light pilot Thomas Define and student Neil Shoemaker, states the council commendation.
The aircraft had crashed in Hanapepe Valley and Shoemaker was the first to be rescued, suffering two broken legs and broken ribs.
Defino was harder to rescue because of his location beneath the wreckage. With nightfall approaching, the rescue became more complex when Fire Rescue 3 was notified of another distress call involving an injured hunter on Mokihana Ridge in Koke‘e.
Defino was assessed with severe head trauma, a compound fracture to his right ankle and suspected to have a broken left leg. With darkness descending, the crew had to “stand down” for the night, leaving Constantino, Garcia, Defino and the injured hunter alone in the mountains overnight.
After assessing weather conditions the following morning, the crew was finally able to complete its rescue mission, noting that the more than six hours of flight time by D’Attilio during day and night hours proved to be the most challenging for the rescue specialists. The effort saved the lives of Defino, Shoemaker and the hunter.
“I’ve been flying with Ken from the days when I was a recruit,” Constantino said. “I want to thank Ken for his skills in flying, and the council for its support of the fire department. Any other crew would’ve done the same thing we did, but I’m glad it was Ken at the controls when I was hanging from the lifeline.”
Abreu added his thanks to Kaua‘i Fire Chief Robert Westerman for allowing him to work for the department because it allowed him to grow.
“My part in this is not as large as others,” Abreu said. “The firefighters do this day in and day out. It just happened that we won the award, but there are many others who deserve the award. I just want to thank the chief for the support he gives us.”
Councilman Daryl Kaneshiro, referring to his personal experience with rescue specialists, said D’Attilio has been supporting the county’s efforts for more than 23 years, dating back to the days he worked for then-Mayor Tony Kunimura.
Kawakami said the presentation just shows the tip of the iceberg.
“I want to thank the families who send off their members every day to a job that involves bravery,” Kawakami said. “The council would like to recognize the support the crews receive from those at home who worry every time they go out. You cannot fathom that feeling unless you’re involved personally.”
Kawakami said while the rescue personnel spoke of the honor of being before the council, it is the council who is honored by their deeds.
“What they do is priceless,” Kawakami said. “There is no pricetag on saving lives.”
