MetroAtlanta Ambulance Service



	EMT Shannon Gibbs is Awarded the Cobb Chamber of Commerce Medal of Valor
	Date: 2002-11-04
	Shannon Gibbs was recognized on Monday, November 4, 2002 by the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce and in front of a crowd of more than 1000 fellow public safety officers, business and community leaders. EMT Gibbs was awarded the County's highest public safety award--the Medal of Valor. At 11:05 am on November 2, 2001, MetroAtlanta Ambulance Unit 226, staffed by EMT Shannon Gibbs and his paramedic partner Pennie Shuler, responded to a 911 request for service at I-75 and Hickory Grove Road--a motor vehicle accident with injuries. Within just 4 minutes, at 11:09 am, they arrived at the scene to find the vehicle, heavily damaged on the passenger side, in the median of the road and on fire. EMT Gibbs rushed to the vehicle and found an 11-year-old boy trapped in the car with his legs pinned under the dash due to the impact of the crash. With the hood of car engulfed in flames, the fire department on the way and the young child screaming frantically for assistance, EMT Gibbs, placing his own life in danger, climbed into the car in an unselfish attempt to calm the young boy, free his legs and keep him from burning to death. As the fire department arrived to contain the fire and cut the child out of the car using the Jaws of Life, EMT Gibbs remained in the car with the child for more than 40 minutes comforting him and providing life saving measures by starting an IV and administering oxygen. The child had obvious fractures to both lower legs, burns to his hands and blunt chest trauma. The boy was extricated and flown from the scene of the accident to Scottish Rite Children's Hospital in Atlanta where he has since been released. Devan Seabaugh, Vice President of MetroAtlanta Ambulance Service stated, " Shannon is a special person that cares a great deal about people. He saved that child's life that day due to his unselfish act of bravery. He placed his life in great risk and went above and beyond the call of duty to save the life of another. That's what heroes do. We are very proud of this young man".

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