Five first-responders to the New Life Church shootings in Colorado Springs were awarded medals of valor last night for “their courage in an extremely dangerous situation.”
The five answered a call to the church where Matthew Murray opened fire on parishioners Dec. 9 hours after he killed two people at Youth with a Mission in Arvada.
The first-responders from the Wescott Fire Department treated the Works family, including sisters Stephanie and Rachel Works, who were fatally injured and their father, David Works, 51, who was shot but survived.
Assistant Wescott Fire Chief Vinny Burns said today that the Wescott Fire Department, which serves northern El Paso County, regularly receives calls on Sunday to the New Life Church because of the thousands of people that attend services there.
“They were dispatched on a run-of-the-mill medical call,” said Burns. “It is not unusual for us to go down there on Sundays.
“They thought it was a routine call but enroute they were told of active shooters. When they got there they were waved into the scene not knowing whether there were multiple shooters and bombs. They ran in without cover.”
“They went in under 100 percent duress not knowing whether they’d get shot or blown up,” Burns added.
The Wescott Fire Department recipients are Captain Scott Ridings, Firefighter/EMT Curt Leonhardt, Firefighter/EMT Roger Lance, and Driver/Engineer James Rackl.
Also receiving the award was American Medical Response (AMR) paramedic Douglas McIntyre.
The men were recognized for entering an unsecured and dangerous area where they provided triage and patient care to the wounded and transported them to the hospital.
The group received the Donald Wescott Medal of Valor at the Wescott Fire Protection District Station 1.
This is the first time the award has been given out in the 27 years of the Wescott Fire Department’s existence.
The award praises the men for their courage “with total disregard to their personal safety.”
“Their actions bring great credit upon themselves and exemplify the values and mission of the Donald Wescott Fire Department and the fire service,” the award says.
Present during the award ceremony were Pastors Garvin McCarroll, Ted Whaley, Justin Spicer, and Wanda Moore, all of the New Life Church.
Also present were David and Marie Works, parents of Rachel, 16, and Stephanie, 18.
The Donald Wescott Medal of Valor is named after El Paso County volunteer firefighter Donald Wescott who lost his life fighting an apartment fire on May 7, 1976. Wescott was the last firefighter in El Paso County to die in the line of duty.
Murray, 24, who had trained at YWAM’s Arvada chapter, went on a rampage killing two before driving to El Paso County at attacking New Life Church worshipers there about 12 hours later.
In addition to the two Works girls, Murray also killed YWAM Arvada staffers Tiffany Johnson, 26, and Philip Crouse, 24,.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
