AND GAS GIFT CARDS TO OFFICERS IN RECENT WEEKS. DES MOINES FIREFIGHTER WAS RECENTLY NAMED A HERO OF THE HEARTLAND BY THE IOWA RED CROSS CHAPTER. CAPTAIN JOE VAN HOLLAND WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO ARRIVE ON THE SCENE WHEN A SEVEN YEAR OLD WAS FOUND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DES MOINES RIVER. HE WRAPPED HIS ROPE AROUND HIS FOREARM, LOWERED HIMSELF INTO THE WATER AND SAVED THE BOY. LAST MONTH, KCCI REPORTED THAT HE WAS PRESENTED THE MEDAL OF HONOR. THAT’S AN ACHIEVEMENT THAT HASN’T BEEN GIVEN OUT IN MORE THAN A DECADE, I TOLD MY CREW THAT DAY AS WE WERE HEADED THERE AND WE COULD SEE THE CHILD FLOATING DOWN THE RIVER THAT I WAS GOING IN, THERE WAS NO WAY THAT WE COULD LEAVE HIM IN THIS PREDICAMENT, THAT HE WAS IN A FIREFIGHTERS BEN WAFFLE AND MARCO MATIAS WERE ALSO GIVEN AWARDS FOR HELPING WITH THAT RESCUE. THE DEPARTMENT IS PROUD T
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Firefighter honored by American Red Cross for saving 7-year-old boy from river
An Iowa firefighter was recently named a “Hero of the Heartland” by the Iowa chapter of the American Red Cross for rescuing a 7-year-old boy from the Des Moines River.Des Moines Fire Department Capt. Joe Van Haalen was one of the first to arrive on scene when the boy was found in the middle of the river. He wrapped a rope around his forearm, lowered himself into the water, and saved the boy. Last month, Hearst sister station KCCI reported that he was presented the Medal of Honor, an achievement that hasn’t been given out in more than a decade.”I told my crew that day, as we were headed there and we could see the child floating down the river that I was going in,” Van Haalen said. “There was no way that we could leave him in this predicament that he was in.”Firefighters Ben Wafful and Marco Matias were also given awards for helping with that rescue. The department is proud to highlight this heroic action and the lifesaving work of its members.
An Iowa firefighter was recently named a “Hero of the Heartland” by the Iowa chapter of the American Red Cross for rescuing a 7-year-old boy from the Des Moines River.
Des Moines Fire Department Capt. Joe Van Haalen was one of the first to arrive on scene when the boy was found in the middle of the river. He wrapped a rope around his forearm, lowered himself into the water, and saved the boy.
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Last month, Hearst sister station KCCI reported that he was presented the Medal of Honor, an achievement that hasn’t been given out in more than a decade.
“I told my crew that day, as we were headed there and we could see the child floating down the river that I was going in,” Van Haalen said. “There was no way that we could leave him in this predicament that he was in.”
Firefighters Ben Wafful and Marco Matias were also given awards for helping with that rescue. The department is proud to highlight this heroic action and the lifesaving work of its members.
