Fire Apparatus Engineer

Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

6/4/2011

Special Service Award (Silver)

On June 4, 2011, at approximately 4:00 p.m., Fire Apparatus Engineer Joshpae B. White, along with two other firefighters, responded to a call involving a vehicle crash in a notoriously rugged stretch of the Feather River on Highway 70 in Butte County. Upon reaching the area, one of the firefighters spotted a small body floating face down in the swift moving river. Engineer White decided that as company officer, he would enter the frigid water instead of waiting for a second engine to arrive. He quickly donned swift water protective equipment and a fellow firefighter positioned himself with a throw bag rope along the downstream bank. Engineer White, fighting the rapids, reached the child, lifted his head out of the water, secured him in his grasp, and then swam to shore with him. The firefighter aided Engineer White with the rope and once they reached shore, they began CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Despite the decisive action of Engineer White, the 9-year-old boy could not be revived.