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Leesburg firefighters receive Life Saving Award

Leesburg firefighters receive Life Saving Award

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For immediate release:  February 12, 2020
Contact:  Office of the City Manager
                 352-728-9786 x. 1100

                 citymanager@leesburgflorida.gov

Leesburg firefighters receive Life Saving Award

     LEESBURG, FL - Two Leesburg firefighters were honored this week by Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children with a 2019 Life Saving Award.  The award recognizes their outstanding performance in pediatric trauma care for actions following a traffic accident in November 2019.

     On November 8, 2019, Leesburg firefighters from stations 61 and 63 responded to a serious head-on motor vehicle collision on County Road 44.  Several people were injured including a teenage girl who was seriously hurt and required transport directly to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.  Two firefighters, Lieutenant Woody Straub and Engineer Leonides Gonzalez, rode with the teenager during transport to continue assisting with life sustaining care.

     Representatives from Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Lake EMS along with Lake County Medical Director Dr. Desmond Fitzpatrick came to Fire Station 1 on February 11 to present the awards in recognition of the crucial role the prehospital emergency care provided by these men played in the patient’s recovery.        

     “I would like to publicly thank Lieutenant Straub and Engineer Gonzalez for their efforts in saving the life of this young girl,” said Fire Chief David Johnson. “Their dedication to the citizens and visitors of the City of Leesburg is a testament of what the LFD stands for and strives to accomplish every day.”

Fire Dept Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children award presentation 1Fire Dept. Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children award presentation 2




Leesburg is a progressive city of more than 23,000 residents in northwest Lake County. The city government serves twice as many people with its electr
ic, gas, water and wastewater public utilities. Leesburg is also a central hub for commerce, attracting 50,000 people to work each weekday. For more information, visit www.leesburgflorida.gov.

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