Certificate for Extraordinary Personal Action presented by Battalion Chief Tim Citro. Bruno and Carissa were in their house and unaware of fire coming out of the roof when Alex and Holly drove by. Holly jumped out of the car, banged on the door and called 911.
Here are official pictures from the ceremony.
SANTA ROSA, CA – November 18, 2019 — On April 29, 2019 at 9:30PM, Holly and Alex Bateman saw smoke emitting from the roof of a private residence. Realizing that the lights were still on inside, Holly rushed to alert the residents, helped the family to evacuate to safety, and called for emergency services. For their heroic and life-saving actions, Holly and Alex Bateman received the Red Cross Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action in a ceremony at the Humboldt Bay Fire Station in Eureka on October 25, 2019.
The Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action is awarded to individuals, who step up in an emergency situation and help save or sustain a life. These individuals exemplify the mission of the American Red Cross to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies. They are to be commended for their willingness to help others in distress.
“We’re extremely proud to present a Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action to Holly and Alex Bateman,” said Jeff Baumgartner, Executive Director, American Red Cross California Northwest Chapter. Their actions exemplify our mission to help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.”
At about 9:30pm on Monday, April 29th, Holly Bateman and her husband were driving down Walnut Drive when they saw smoke coming from the roof/attic area of a home. Thinking quickly and empathetically, Holly realized that the lights were on, cars were in the driveway, and that residents were likely still home, possibly unaware of the fire above them. Holly rushed out of her car and knocked on the door, instructing her husband in the vehicle to call 9-1-1. The residents of the home were in their living room and completely unaware of the fire originating above them. Holly instructed the family to vacate the building and awaited as EMS arrived on scene. Holly and her husband contacted 9-1-1/provided care for the family.
Red Cross training gives people the knowledge and skills to act in an emergency and save a life. A variety of online, blended (online and in-person skills session) and classroom courses are available at redcross.org/takeaclass.
If you or someone you know has used skills and knowledge learned in an American Red Cross Training Services course to help save or sustain the life of another individual, visit LifesavingAwards.org to nominate, recognize, or be inspired.
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About American Red Cross of the California Northwest
With office locations in Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, and Sonoma counties, the American Red Cross is a non-profit, humanitarian organization that depends on the generous contributions of time and money from residents and companies to provide services and programs that help our community to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. For more information, visit our website at redcross.org/calnw or call us at 1-707-577-7600. You may also find us on Facebook and Twitter.