Michael T. Phennicie

California Highway Patrol Officer Michael T. Phennicie, on October 25, 1998, performed an extraordinary act of heroism at risk to his personal safety when he rescued an injured party from a burning vehicle. The flames from the engine compartment entered the vehicle under the dashboard and into the passenger compartment. If Officer Phennicie had not acted as he did, the driver would have perished in the fire. At approximately 6:35 p.m., Officer Phennicie was concluding an enforcement stop on a Mr. Tristan Wolfard when he heard the sound of a collision. He immediately responded towards the collision and Mr. Wolfard followed. Upon his arrival,





Officer Phennicie observed a solo vehicle, which had struck a bridge support. The vehicle sustained major damage, and there were flames coming from the engine compartment. Officer Phennicie observed the driver, Mr. Tomas Unofre Rodriguez, unconscious and slumped over in the front seat. Officer Phennicie could not see into the remainder of the vehicle due to the smoke. The front driver side door was jammed shut due to the vehicle damage. Officer Phennicie attempted to remove Mr. Rodriquez from the now partially engulfed vehicle (flames entering under the dashboard) through the driver side but was unable to do so without assistance (Mr. Rodriguez was seat-belted in the vehicle, and his legs and feet were trapped under the controls). Officer Phennicie was able to cut the driver out of the seat belt but was unable to remove him from the vehicle. Two citizens, Mr. Kenneth Ferro and Mr. Jeffery Schwartz, stopped and assisted Officer Phennicie in removing Mr. Rodriguez from his vehicle. All three rescuers were in danger from the direct flames and smoke and the possibility of the vehicle exploding. Once the driver was removed from the vehicle, Officer Phennicie returned to the vehicle to search for passengers. He entered the vehicle through the back door, crawling on his hands and knees and searching with his hands while the flames entered the rear occupant area of the vehicle. Officer Phennicie was overcome by smoke and heat and was assisted to a safe location. Officer Phennicie was unable to provide immediate first aid or emergency medical treatment to the injured driver.

Mr. Wolfard, who is an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), was able to retrieve Officer Phennicie's EMT bag from the patrol car and treat Mr. Rodriguez until additional life-saving personnel arrived. Mr. Wolford provided oxygen, partial immobilization, and treatment for shock. There is no question that Mr. Rodriguez would have perished if not for the quick and decisive actions of Officer Phennicie and the citizens.