Firefighters honored for life-saving efforts

Two Chattanooga firefighters recently received special recognition for stepping up and helping others in need when they were off duty.

Firefighter Zack Trimboli (Ladder 19, Red Shift) was presented a life-saving award from the Chattanooga Police Department during the department”s annual awards ceremony, according to a news release. After a shooting in downtown Chattanooga last May that involved multiple victims, Trimboli rushed over to the wounded to render aid to two injured people. While directing bystanders to start CPR, he used his shirt to staunch serious bleeding. He continued to work on both patients until emergency medical personnel arrived. The fire department also gave Trimboli an award for his actions, the news release stated.

Firefighter Justin Coffey (Squad 13, Red Shift) received the Tennessee Star of Life First Responder Award along with members of Bradley County Fire Rescue (BCFR) and Bradley County EMS for their actions at the scene of a head-on car wreck in Cleveland on Christmas Day last year. Coffey was deer hunting at the time and climbing out of a tree when he heard the crash impact. He hurried out of the woods and jumped in to give aid to the victims, including three children. BCFR did an outstanding job extricating three children, ages 2, 4 and 7, from a vehicle.

During the awards event in Nashville, the patients, their family and all of the first responders who had a hand in that call had the chance to reunite.

“It was an amazing experience since we normally never see or meet these patients or the family again,” Coffey said in the release.

Lindsey Rogers

Public information officer Chattanooga Fire Department