Fire Apparatus Engineer/Paramedic

Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

9/5/2011

Special Act Award (Gold)

On September 5, 2011, at approximately 1:00 p.m., Fire Apparatus Engineer/Paramedic Jason Moorhouse was off-duty with his fiancé at a friend’s house in Lakeport, when he noticed a dark column of smoke nearby and ran down the street to identify the source. When he arrived at a house six doors down, he saw a man with a garden hose attempting to extinguish a fire blowing out of a broken bedroom window. The man said his mother was still inside the burning home. Engineer Moorhouse asked his friends to call 911 and went to the front door. He was met with a wall of thick black smoke and heard a woman calling for help, saying she was lying on the kitchen floor. Wearing only shorts and flip-flops, Engineer Moorhouse and his friend attempted to enter the burning house, but they were hampered by the heat and smoke. The friend went to look for another way in and Engineer Morehouse’s fiancé appeared with a towel to help with his breathing as he and another person again attempted to enter the burning house. Crawling on their stomachs, they located the 84 year old woman and dragged her to safety. Engineer Moorhouse began administering first aid as the woman was suffering from burns and smoke inhalation. She was transported by helicopter to the hospital where she was successfully treated for her serious injuries.