Venice Fire Department honors its best

The Helping Hands Award is used to recognize members of the genreral public for assistance given to the Fire Department that is "above and beyond" during an emergency situation.

City of Venice
Fire Department
Life Safety Award

The City of Venice Fire Department has been presented with a Life Safety Achievement Award for the year 2006 by the Residential Fire Safety Institute. 

For 14 years, the Life Safety Achievement award has recognized the local fire prevention activities that contributed to reducing the number of lives lost in residential fires.  The City of Venice Fire Department qualified for this award because it recorded zero fire deaths in structures in 2006.  Although residential fires in the US account for only 20 percent of all fires, they result in 80 percent of all fire deaths.  A total of 675 fire departments nationwide received the 2006 Life Safety Achievement Award.

City of Venice
Fire Department
Helping Hands Award

The intent of this award is to provide special recognition for individuals who demonstrate exceptional service to their fellow citizen in an emergency situation.  The young man being recognized today certainly filled this criterion by his heroic actions of October 7, 2007.

 

While fishing from the Venice Pier, 16 year-old Phillip Hansen along with his girlfriend, Ashley, noticed a female diver swimming closer to the pier.   The diver had gone under and come up several times.  On the last time up, she called for help.  Phillip immediately, removed his personal items and jumped into the water.  He grabbed a nearby bucket and gave it to the diver to help her float.  Bystanders on the pier threw a rope to them; Phillip promptly climbed it and was pulled back onto the pier.  He then towed the diver to shore and helped remove her equipment. 

For his “above and beyond” efforts, the Venice Fire Department is proud to present the Helping Hands Award to Phillip Hansen.