PHILMONT—On March 6, three members of State Police Troop K were recognized by the American Legion for acts of valor and heroism at The Vanderbilt House restaurant.
Trooper David G. Rose, SP Kinderhook, was awarded the Medal of Valor for actions he took to disarm a distraught veteran in New Lebanon, July 2013. After successfully engaging the despondent, non-communicative person in dialog about his military service, he convinced the young man to release the shotgun with which he was threatening to harm himself.
Trooper Matthew Colwell, SP Livingston, received the Gold Star of Heroism for two separate acts of heroism. The first incident, which occurred October 2013, involved his response to a report of a child being unable to gain entry to his residence in Livingston after returning from school. Trooper Colwell took swift and decisive action by utilizing a neighbor’s ladder to access a second story window into the home.
He subsequently found the child’s mother suffering from life-threatening, self-inflicted lacerations. He was able to notify rescue personnel and administer critical first aid until their arrival, thereby saving her life. The second instance occurred March 2014 when Trooper Colwell responded to an automatic fire alarm at a retirement home in Livingston. Upon arrival he saw an apartment engulfed in flames. After successfully evacuating the occupant, he used a fire extinguisher from his patrol vehicle to extinguish the fire, which had begun to consume an entire wall of the residence. His swift actions likely saved the occupant and the entire structure from destruction.
Sergeant Paul E. Strobel, SP New Lebanon, received the Gold Star of Heroism for rescuing a mother and her child from a burning residence July 2013. Using only a face mask and his firematic training, Sergeant Strobel entered the smoke-filled residence to locate and retrieve the victim who was paralyzed with fear and unable to find the exit.
