By Howard Pankratz
The Denver Post
Copyright 2008 The Denver Post
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. — Five first-responders to the New Life Church shootings in Colorado Springs were awarded medals of valor last night for “their courage in an extremely dangerous situation.”
The five answered a call to the church where Matthew Murray opened fire on parishioners Dec. 9 hours after he killed two people at Youth with a Mission in Arvada.
Killed at the El Paso County church were Stephanie Works, 18, and her sister, Rachel, 16.
The men, the first EMS providers at New Life, were recognized for entering an unsecured and dangerous area where they provided triage and patient care to the wounded and transported them to the hospital.
The group received the Donald Wescott Medal of Valor at the Wescott Fire Protection District Station 1. The Wescott Fire Protection District is located in northern El Paso County and serves approximately 25,000 people.
The recipients are Captain Scott Ridings, American Medical Response (AMR) Paramedic Douglas McIntyre, Firefighter/EMT Curt Leonhardt, Firefighter/EMT Roger Lance, and Driver/Engineer James Rackl.
This is the first time the award has been given out in the 27 years of the Wescott Fire Department’s existence.
The award praises the men for their courage “with total disregard to their personal safety.”
“Their actions bring great credit upon themselves and exemplify the values and mission of the Donald Wescott Fire Department and the fire service,” the award says.
Present during the award were Pastors Garvin McCarroll, Ted Whaley, Justin Spicer, and Wanda Moore, all of the New Life Church.
Also present were David and Marie Works, parents of Rachel and Stephanie Works.
The Donald Wescott Medal of Valor is named after El Paso County volunteer firefighter Donald Wescott who lost his life fighting an apartment fire on May 7, 1976. Wescott was the last firefighter in El Paso County to die in the line of duty.
Murray, 24, who had trained at YWAM’s Arvada chapter, went on a rampage killing two before driving to El Paso County at attacking New Life Church worshipers there about 12 hours later.
In addition to the two Works girls, Murray also killed YWAM Arvada staffers Tiffany Johnson, 26, and Philip Crouse, 24,. Five others - including David Works, 51, - were wounded.