You’re driving after a long day at work. You see debris and people laying on the side of the road. What do you do?
Shane Richardson, a P&M foreman at Oklahoma Natural Gas and volunteer firefighter at Collinsville Rural Fire, had to answer that exact question a few weeks ago.
His answer: stop and help.
How Shane helped save three strangers' lives.
Shane was driving north on Highway 75 near Owasso, OK. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a vehicle near the highway, debris, and two people laying in a field nearby. He stopped his Oklahoma Natural Gas truck and ran over – after all, as he says, “you’re always a firefighter,” meaning even if he was off duty, he knew he needed to help and, luckily, he knew exactly what to do.
As he reached the area where the vehicle was stopped, he noticed it was starting to catch fire. Shane's fireman training kicked in.
3 Steps Taken to Save Lives
Step 1
Locate the injured. There was someone partially ejected from the vehicle’s sunroof who had experienced major trauma. There were two others also injured: a woman and a child. They were laying on the field nearby.
Step 2
Call 911. A second person stopped to help and they called 911 while Shane assessed the situation and ran back to his truck to grab a fire extinguisher. Top priority was getting the person out of the vehicle and as far away as possible from the potential fire that was starting. Still on the phone with 911, Shane and the other person who stopped to help were able to manage the situation until help showed up.
Step 3
Try to put out the fire. Shane was able to push the flames back for the other person who was on the phone with 911 to be able to get to the person who was in the vehicle away from it.
The Outcome
By the time they had moved the victim who was stuck in the vehicle a safe distance back, the vehicle had fully caught fire. Owasso Fire showed up and was able to put out the fire. The Tulsa Fire Department also showed up and was able to tend to the injured.
Years of training pays off
Shane says his training as a volunteer firefighter and at Oklahoma Natural Gas, where you have to learn how to effectively use a fire extinguisher and to always prioritize safety, came in handy. In fact, Oklahoma Natural Gas field employees continuously stress the importance of inspecting fire extinguishing equipment to ensure it is operational at all times. “It was actually the first time I had to use the fire extinguisher in my car,” he says.
Shane’s been an Oklahoma Natural Gas employee for more than 27 years and a volunteer firefighter for more than 17.
"We are thankful for Shane’s commitment to safety and to helping others in what could have been a very tragic situation,” says Chris Carr, vice president of Operations for Oklahoma Natural Gas. “His heroic actions are a reflection of our company’s core values and we are proud to have him as a longtime member of our team."
