Huron Twp. Police, Fire Departments honored for life-saving efforts

Huron Valley Ambulance (HVA) was proud to present Officer Keith Nappo of the Huron Township Police Department with a life-saving award for his heroic actions on July, 19, 2016.
Also honored were Corporal Duane Griffis of HTPD and Captain Bradley Bauman of HTFD for their heroic actions on April 22, 2016.
The awards were presented May 23 at HVA’s annual Emergency Medical Service Awards Dinner.
Ofc. Nappo
On the evening of July 19, 2016, Ofc. Nappo and his partner were dispatched to Willow Road at the I-275 overpass in New Boston for a call involving a suicidal person. Upon his arrival, the man was found sitting on the overpass railing with his legs dangling above traffic on southbound I-275.
Ofc. Nappo recognized the man as a person he had interacted with in the past. On a previous incident, he had taken the time to speak with the man regarding some recent hardships going on in his life. The man advised Ofc. Nappo that he was contemplating jumping from the railing onto the freeway. Ofc. Nappo used his rapport with the man to convince him to step down from the railing to safety; he was also able to convince the man to seek a medical evaluation.
Police officers regularly find themselves in situations where they deal with people in their lowest moments, HVA noted. The time Ofc. Nappo spent listening to the man in the past more than likely save his life that day.
Cpl. Griffis & Capt. Bauman
On April 22, 2016, the Huron Township Police Department Dispatch Operations Center received a 911 call from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department in regards to a potential murder/suicide possibly taking place at the Michigan Memorial Park Cemetery near Flat Rock.
A woman had kidnapped her sister from a nursing home in Van Buren Township and planned to push her sister into the Huron River and then jump into the river after her.
Cpl. Griffis was dispatched to the incident and was met by other officers from HTPD including Capt. Bauman. Upon arrival at the scene, first responders found one woman in the river; she was submerged up to her neck and in immediate danger.
Cpl. Griffis immediately climbed down a large ledge and onto the wet rocks along the river’s edge; he was able to hold the woman’s hand keeping her safe until additional help arrived. The river’s edge was made of large jagged rocks, and the river levels were high with a very swift current. Cpl. Griffis acted without regard to his own life as he took the necessary actions to save the life of another.
When Cpt. Bauman arrived at the scene, he immediately initiated an action plan using two ladders from the fire engine to rescue the woman in the river. Cpt. Bauman entered the river to secure the woman in a manner that would keep her from sustaining further injury.
Cpt. Bauman, Cpl. Griffis and other members of HTFD worked as a team to lift the woman from the water, up the ledge on the river’s edge and ultimately to safety. Cpt. Bauman’s ability to assess the situation and quickly come up with a plan of action was instrumental in saving this woman’s life.
The awards
The HVA Emergency Medical Services awards dinner is held each year during National EMS week to honor HVA Paramedics and EMTs who provide the day-to-day life-saving services of medicine’s front line. The dinner also serves to recognize community members and groups who have made life-saving efforts throughout the year.