Peace Officer Fire Captain

Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

6/29/2022

Special Act Award (Gold)

On June 29, 2022, at approximately 5:54 p.m., the Perris Emergency Command Center dispatched a response to a three-vehicle traffic collision with a person trapped inside one of the cars. The first arriving unit was Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy Carlos Rosado, who broadcasted that the vehicle was on fire and confirmed the driver was trapped. Deputy Rosado requested additional nearby units that were carrying fire extinguishers to respond. CAL FIRE Peace Officer Fire Captains John May, Kory McGranahan, Tim Cabral, Joe Green and Ariel Sosa heard the radio call and responded that they were on duty and assigned to their patrol nearby. Upon arrival, the officers observed that the driver was trapped, screaming, burning and bleeding. The driver needed to be pulled from the vehicle, but no one could pry open the door given the extreme conditions. Officer Green rushed to provide support by moving fire extinguishers and assisting Officers May and McGranahan. Due to the twisted metal and hidden fire between the engine and the dashboard, the fire extinguishers did not suppress the fire. Officer McGranahan climbed into the vehicle and placed himself in the fire’s path to curtail the flame’s growth by inserting the fire extinguisher's dry powder into gaps and cracks near the driver’s lower legs. Officer May used his handheld forceable entry tools to peel open the hood and fenders to access the seat of the fire. As more fire extinguishers arrived from nearby units, both Officers May and McGranahan used them to keep the fire from growing. Officer Cabral aided Officers May and McGranahan in attempts to combat the fire. Officer Cabral pulled his ice chest full of water to temporarily suppress the fire’s growth beneath the vehicle. These forward-thinking actions slowed the fire’s spread, but the driver was still in harm’s way. The first fire engine arrived at approximately 6:02 p.m. Still facing the active burning fire without any fire-suppressing agent left, Officers Cabral and Sosa pulled the hose from the fire engine while the firefighters suited up in additional safety gear. Thankfully, Officers Cabral and Sosa extinguished the fire. Additional fire engines arrived and cut the driver out of the vehicle. The driver was flown by air ambulance to the nearest local trauma and burn center. The State of California takes great pride in presenting the Gold Medal of Valor to Peace Officer Fire Captain John May for his extraordinary act of heroism extending far above and beyond the normal call of duty.