Firefighters honor citizens’ heroic efforts
Linda Case fights through tears to thank the men who tried to save her daughter.
LAKEWOOD – A still grieving Lisa Case tried mightily to smile, but her tears broke through as she thanked the young two heroes who braved lethal flames trying to save her daughter, Amber Jeffers and their friend Joey Shedron.
But Amber, Joey and one of the young heroes – Jeremy McCarroll – died in the fire.
Devin Barnhart was severely burned as he and McCarroll tried to reach their trapped friends.
Both were awarded West Metro’s Fire Rescue District’s highest civilian award, the 911 Life Saving Award, at the Lakewood Cultural Center March 3.
“There are times when citizens do these things that are incredibly outside the range of what they have been asked to do,” said West Metro Shift Commander Gary Armstrong. “They step up and they save a life or they attempt to save a life. And, sometimes, they make the ultimate sacrifice.”
Amber’s mom presented the awards, hanging a medal around Devin’s neck, then hugging him tightly in a tearful embrace.
Jeremy’s parents, John and Patty McCarroll and his brother, Nate, accepted the fallen hero’s posthumous award.
Case said it was only after the investigation was complete that she realized what had happened.
” The reality hit me very hard: Devin and Jeremy had escaped the fire and that they had gone back in to save their friends,” Case said.
” What I am left with is a strong sensation of gratitude that they would love my daughter and Joey enough that they couldn’t stand by and watch the house burn without doing whatever possible to help them.”
The four friends were at Shedron’s house in the Roxborough area of Douglas County on the night of Aug. 3, 2008. They were there to help Shedron deal with the death of his mother.
Sometime about 2:30 a.m., Barnhart later recalled, he fell asleep in the living room. McCarroll, 20, and Erik Hogue, 19, were nearby.
Jeffers, 18, and Shedron, 22, were upstairs.
At 3:26 a.m., a neighbor notified emergency dispatchers of a fire and an apparent explosion at the house across the street. West Metro fire fighters were dispatched to the scene.
Barnhart told investigators he awoke to the sight of flames about that time. He roused McCarroll and Hogue and the three ran outside. Hogue ran to the street to summon help.
McCarroll and Barnhart went back into the burning house to save Jefferson and Shedron.
They didn’t make it.
Barnhart first checked the basement, then headed for the upstairs bedroom, but tripped on the stairs, where the flames overtook him.
He eventually made his way back outside where firefighters found him with burns over 70 percent of his body. He spent months recovering in the hospital.
McCarroll later was found in the upstairs bedroom, close to his friends. All three were dead, victims of smoke inhalation.
“Jeremy McCarroll, you are my hero” Case said quietly.
West Metro also recognized other heroes during the award ceremony, including Andrew and Bailey Ciferri, who were given the 911 Hero Awards for their actions after their mother, Renee, was hit by the family car in their driveway.
Andrew, 12, and Bailey, 9, remained calm and, while Bailey kept her critically injured mom still, Andrew called 911 to summon help. He told dispatchers how to get to his home and details of the accident.
Eight other citizens also were recognized by fire officials for alerting and helping evacuate neighbors after fires broke out in private homes or apartments. They are Robert and Debbie Salazar, Darren Overfelt, Mick Kelly, Greg Debin. Lelani Mock, and Bob and Tammy Shaeffer.
