(LAS VEGAS) – Las Vegas Firefighters are proud to announce that their own Las Vegas firefighter paramedic Benjamin Kole has been named AAA’s Rescuer of the Year. As part of this award, Kole will be donating $11,000 through AAA to the American Red Cross Southern Nevada Chapter. This donation will be donated on behalf of the Las Vegas Firefighters and AAA.
President of the Las Vegas Firefighters, Scott Johnson, says, “I am proud of Ben as a Las Vegas firefighter for earning such a prestigious honor, and that he is able to give to a charity our organization continuously supports. We know this donation will make a significant impact here in our community.”
Kole received this award due to his bravery when he was called to the scene of an “unknown problem.” As the first to respond to the scene, Ben rushed into the apartment complex to find a baby had been delivered, but lacked a pulse. He immediately picked up the baby and ran down the stairs, performing CPR on the infant the entire way down and to the rescue unit. In the unit, he (and his partner) began shock treatment, continuing CPR until he got a pulse back. A courageous act and heroic instinct saved this baby’s life.
Paulette Stracuzzi of AAA says, “AAA is proud to honor Ben’s ongoing service to the Las Vegas community. His courage in saving the life of a newborn baby deserves recognition and praise.”
Jennifer Ramieh of the Red Cross Southern Nevada Chapter says, “To be the Las Vegas Firefighters’ choice for this donation is truly an honor. We thank Ben and the rest of the Las Vegas Firefighters for this incredible contribution.”
The American Red Cross of Southern Nevada Chapter serves the greater Las Vegas area, as well as Clark, Lincoln, Nye and Esmeralda Counties. They provide disaster services to their communities, service to the armed forces, response to severe weather, and assistance in emergency responses.
Las Vegas Firefighters Local 1285
The Las Vegas Firefighters Local 1285 is comprised of 628 fulltime members and 209 retirees. They serve to protect a city that covers 133.25 square miles (including large Clark County “islands”), nearly 610,000 residents, and several million visitors each year. They serve under the Las Vegas Fire & Rescue, which is an Insurance Services Office (ISO) Class One Department and is an Internationally Accredited Agency by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International. Their mission is to promote community safety by protecting life, preventing loss, and providing support and relief for those in need. The corporate office is headquartered at 502 South 9th Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101. For more information, please visit www.iafflocal1285.com.
