Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – Three Jonesboro Parks and Recreation employees received a special award during Tuesday’s city council meeting for their response to a wreck.
The employees – Antwane Blair, Antonio Blair, and Jayden Gaston – were working near the Discovery Island Learning Center on July 8 on Matthews Avenue when they saw a car run off into a ditch, according to Jonesboro Fire Department Chief Marty Hamrick. He added that the ditch the car ran into was fairly deep, around 15 to 20 feet.
“Most of the time when we deal with emergencies in the city, fire department, police department usually handles that,” Hamrick said. “[The Parks employees] scaled the ditch, helped the occupants out – and a dog – got them up to safety, and sat with them ’til the fire trucks and ambulances got there and dealt with it appropriately.”
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JFD Capt. Jason Oleson recommended the three for the Award of Commendation.
“They did this with no tools and no training that I have any knowledge of,” Oleson wrote in his recommendation. “They easily could have sat on the side of the ditch and said help is on the way, but to these men, that was not enough.”
The employees were presented with a certificate thanking them for their work, as well as challenge coins.
“We appreciate what y’all did,” Hamrick said. “It’s the stuff you don’t have to do that makes a difference.”
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