Fire Fighter John Henderson gets Medal of Honor

Fire Fighter John Henderson was presented with a Medal of Honor, the highest award the Van Buren Township Public Safety Department can give, for pulling a small child from her blazing home at 47515 Denton Road last Dec. 13.
Fire Fighter Henderson was honored at the April 5 meeting of the VBT Board of Trustees, along with nine others who participated in the Public Safety response to the fire.
“All played pivotal roles,” said Public Safety Director Greg Laurain, pointing out the house was ablaze, electrical lines were down, and there was a natural gas fire at the scene.
When the VBT Fire Department arrived, a police officer directed the fire fighter to a small child in the blaze.
“Fire Fighter Henderson decided to risk his own life on the chance he could save a child,” Laurain said.
“These are heroes you see standing before you tonight,” he said.
He said a committee of their peers convened twice to determine the awards.
“It was a team effort,” he said, adding they must recognize the City of Belleville’s Police and Fire Departments and Sumpter Township Fire Department that aided them.
He said Belleville Officer Mark Aldrich was the first officer at the scene and he pinpointed where the child was located. A child was crying that was no longer crying. Police officers were beaten back by the intense heat.
Officer Aldrich could not be there for the awards and he was to be presented a Director’s Award.
Fire Chief Dan Besson told the story of what happened the morning of the fire. He said Fire Fighter Bronson Campbell was driving the fire truck and Fire Fighter Henderson jumped out and headed to the fire as soon as they arrived with Officer Aldrich pointing out where the child was located. Henderson had forgotten his helmet and made the split-second decision to attempt to save a life without it.
The fire was very hot and he had seconds to make a decision, to go or not to go. He made that decision and now is being given the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism, “the highest award we can give,” Chief Besson said.
Chief Besson said Henderson has also been nominated for two national life-saving awards, one at Fire House Magazine and the other at the International Association of Fire Chiefs.
Chief Besson held up Henderson’s fire jacket that showed melted debris still embedded in the coat. The jacket was brand new, less than a week old, the first time he wore it to that fire.
“John is a humble person and says any other fire fighter would make the same decision,” Chief Besson said.
Amariyana Wells, the two-year-old girl rescued from the flames, was present at the ceremony and her uncle Lorenzo Wells read a poem he wrote to thank Henderson for helping the girl. It ended: “… You will ever be engraved in our hearts… Thank you.”
Chief Besson said after crawling into the fire to find the girl and bringing her out, Henderson handed her over to Campbell, a trained paramedic, who began lifesaving procedures. Then, Henderson took off his coat and climbed into the driver’s seat of the Huron Valley Ambulance to drive it to the hospital while the two EMTs worked on the girl in the back.
Henderson continued to visit the girl at the hospital until she was released.
The awards given that night were:
• Unit Commendations to Dispatchers Whitney Smolinski, Julie Jones, and Rob Martin;
• Certificate of Commendation to Police Officers Adam Byrd and Mark King;
• Certificate of Merit to Police Officer Eric Dougherty;
• Unit Commendations to Fire Fighter David Schuler and David Brouillette; and
• Lifesavings Awards to John Henderson and Bronson Campbell.
In other business at the April 5 meeting, the board:
• Approved the supervisor’s appointments of Daniel Belanger, Todd O’Neill, and Denise Willoughby to the Recreation Committee with term to expire Feb. 1, 2017;
• Approved the reallocation of $41,136.26 from the General Fund to Parks and Recreation Capital Outlay and to increase the MMRMA Reimbursement line item by $41,136.26. In 2015, $122,517 was designated for park improvements including demolition of the Riggs house. The work did not take place and the money needs to be reallocated. These funds originally were obtained through MMRMA reimbursements. $22,157 was through an insurance claim when the Riggs barn burned down and $100,000 was through a MMRMA insurance refund;
• Approved extending the temporary moratorium passed on Sept. 15 to defer review of applications pertaining to Medical Marihuana Establishments until May 9;
• Approved the first readings of six ordinances to amend the General Code of Ordinances, with many being housekeeping in nature, according to Ron Akers, Director of Planning and Economic Development;
• Approved first reading of an amended ordinance to provide for regulations governing Medical Marihuana Cultivation Facilities. There are seven or eight areas in the township where people could do this, Akers said. No dispensaries are permitted;
• Heard Supervisor Linda Combs report that she had been asked about the rash of crimes. She said they had been at gas stations and close proximity to the freeway and between family members involving drugs. Trustee Brenda McClanahan asked if the board could have the public safety director make a statement. Combs said Deputy Director Jason Wright has given her information which she will use in her upcoming State of the Township address;
• Heard Trustee McClanahan read a statement concerning her disappointment in the supervisor, clerk, and treasurer making the decision to go for 6.5 mills for public safety on the Nov. 8 election, instead of having public discussion on the proposal at a board meeting before the decision was made; and
• Heard Mary Ban point out how bad Sumpter Road is between Bemis and Owen, where a gap in the middle of the road has grown to 16” wide. She also said Bemis, from Sumpter to Savage, is a disaster. “It’s a public safety thing. Passing tires get in the gaps,” she said. She invited the board members to take a little tour of the south end of the township. “You’ll be surprised,” she said. Supervisor Combs said they would pass on the information to County Commissioner Al Hadious.