Gonzales Recognizes Firemen of the Year
The Knights of Columbus of Ascension Parish held their annual banquet to honor the men and women of the fire service in Ascension parish. The annual banquet was held on July 26th at St. Mark's church, and the turnout was impressive. Gonzales, along with the rest of the departments in the parish, recognized its selections for firefighter of the year in the presence of local, regional and state level officials of the Knights of Columbus as well as parish officials, friends and family. The guest speaker for the event was Retired Colonel Jeff Smith. (3rd from left in picture) Each candidate was given a plaque and the chief from each department submitted a letter to the Knights for their reccomendation. This is the letter submitted for the candidates from Gonzales, F.F. NREMT-P Joey lambert and Capt. NREMT-P Darrin Cagnolatti.
Brother Mickey Lemoine
Knights of Columbus Firefighters Banquet
Brother Knights,
It is indeed a pleasure to share with you my choices for recipients of the 2006 Firefighter of the Year Award. I want to nominate Captain Paramedic Darrin Cagnolatti and Firefighter Paramedic Joey Lambert for their heroic and lifesaving actions in the Gonzales Fire Department USAR response to Hurricane Katrina.
On Tuesday August 30, 2005, the day after Hurricane Katrina unleashed death and destruction to South Louisiana, members of the Gonzales Fire Department were assigned to a Task Force made up of five other departments, LSU FETI and under the command of the LA National Guard. They were sent to I-610 and Paris Ave in New Orleans to conduct water rescue and set up a medical triage site. The team would have never imagined what they would experience that day and how that day would change their lives and challenge every bit of training and education they have achieved. They arrived at the location at 7am. Has helpless citizens were being removed from rooftops and attics these two individuals began to treat patients with medical problems ranging from diabetics to dehydration, after four hours of providing medical treatment their medical supplies were being depleted, I.V. fluids were almost gone and other needed drugs and narcotics were all used up. At this point they were managing over 100 patients with 20 being critical. Surrounded by water they knew that if transportation did not arrive soon death was imminent for some of these people. The Task Force had no operating communications what so ever, runners had to be used to face to face transfer information. At about 2:30pm a military black hawk helicopter landed on site to survey the operations. After seeing the desperate nature this copter’s Captain decided that his bird would evac the 20 critical patients to the New Orleans Airport where a medical hospital was being set up. This process would take hours as they could only take two at a time. By 5pm all of the critical patients were removed, but the job was far from over as now nearly 1000 people sat unprotected with no food or water on the high rise of I-610. The team began to access the young and old demanding that rationed food and water go to them first. Still in their minds that no transportation was coming they knew more medical problems would surface. At about 10pm military trucks capable of driving through water arrived and removed the young children and elderly people to a safe area at the Convention Center. This action separated families but was the only way to keep people alive until all could be removed.
This day was only a short story of the many days that the Gonzales Fire Department and other departments spent giving all. There are so many heroes from ordinary citizens to public safety personnel who gave all to make the out come better and they did just that. Cagnolatti and Lambert did receive one lasting recognition from that day, it captured them in action. A lone reporter was watching from the side lines and snapped a picture of the two administering care to a cardiac patient and this photo made the cover of the Journal of Emergency Medical Services Magazine for September 2005.
It gives me great pleasure and honor to recognize Captain Paramedic Darrin Cagnolatti and Firefighter Paramedic Joey Lambert for saving lives that terrible day and helping to keep family member alive under war like and primitive conditions.
Sincerely,
H. “Butch” Browning
Fire Chief
Congratulations once again to these two individuals, and may they continue to strive for excellence, knowledge and service in the city of Gonzales.