Menifee firefighter II Chad Burns receives congratulations from Bill Weiser, fire chief for Cal Fire Riverside County after receiving the governor’s Gold Medal of Valor for his heroic efforts to save a victim who had fallen into a storm water pipe runoff system. The award is the highest honor a state employee can receive. Valley News/Cal Fire photo
PERRIS – Cal Fire Riverside Unit firefighter II Chad Burns received the governor’s Gold Medal of Valor Monday, May 16, at a ceremony at Cal Fire’s Southern Region Headquarters.Burns went above and beyond the call of duty March 3, 2020. Around 1 a.m., first responders were dispatched to reports of a confined space rescue in the city of Temecula. When firefighters arrived, it was determined that a victim was yelling for help from a storm water runoff pipe system. Burns, the primary rescuer, entered the pipe system to reach the victim.Burns traveled 100 feet into the 18-inch pipe, maximizing the capability of the rescue system where he had to completely stretch out and crawl through the very tight space, as well as crawl backwards to retreat through the narrow pipe.[caption
