Locals heralded for their acts of bravery

The morning of May 20, 2007 was just another day for Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Truman Brandt. He was doing his job. Then, a car being pursued by state troopers on State Route 29 in Lake Township crashed head on into Brandt’s cruiser and both vehicles engulfed in flames. Knocked unconscious from the crash, Brandt was unable to exit the car.

Three local men took action.

Trooper First Class William Gross and Trooper Robert Rogers, both of the PSP Tunkhannock barracks, immediately went to Brandt’s aid. Lehman Township Assistant Fire Chief Dennis Bernard Dobinick arrived on scene not long after and assisted the troopers in pulling Brandt out of his patrol car.

For their bravery, the three men were honored by the Rotary Club of Dallas at its First Responder of the Year 2007 Awards Dinner on Thursday, May 22, two days after the first anniversary of the event, at the Appletree Terrace at Newberry Estates in Dallas.

"I’ve been involved in emergency services for 36 years and have seen a lot of things happen, but honestly this one was overwhelming for me," Dobinick said last July.

Members of Back Mountain police, fire and ambulance departments also received EMT, Fire and Police Officer of the Year awards.

Pennsylvania Senator Lisa Baker and Pennsylvania Representative Karen Boback were in attendance at the dinner and gave welcoming remarks.

2007 EMT of the Year: Susan Davis, Kunkle Fire and Ambulance; and Tonya Gannon, Dallas Fire and Ambulance

Davis responded to 92 ambulance calls and was on call for over 1,500 hours while serving as Assistant Ambulance Chief for Kunkle Fire and Ambulance during 2007. She is treasurer of the Relief Association, teaches CPR classes at the department and prepares grant applications and recertification of the ambulance.

Gannon is the chief of Dallas Ambulance. In 2007, she responded to 241 ambulance calls and was on call for 1,429 hours. Her service helped Dallas Fire and Ambulance’s 99 percent successful response rate.

2007 Firefighter of the Year: Tim Rismondo, Dallas Fire and Ambulance

Rismondo started Dallas Fire and Ambulance’s Junior Firefighter Program, allowing high school students to join the department and become full active members at age 18. Rismondo responded to 241 of the 384 emergency calls in 2007.

2007 Police Officer of the Year: Sergeant Douglas J. Higgins, Dallas Township Police Department.

Higgins served as a member of an interagency investigating unit that investigated the homicide death of Dallas Township resident Brian Kocis. He coordinated activities of the investigators to include a command post at the Dallas Municipal Building, scheduled officers to secure the crime scene and participated in daily briefings. Higgins traveled to Virginia Beach, Va. and San Diego, Calif. for the investigation. Joseph Kerekes and Harlow Cuadra were arrested for homicide and on other charges as a result of the investigation.

Higgins also served as department supervisor while the chief attended 10 weeks of training at the FBI National Academy.

2007 First Responder of the Year: Trooper Truman Brandt, PA State Police; Trooper William Gross, PA State Police; Trooper Robert R. Rogers, PA State Police; and Dennis Dobinick, PA Game Commission and Lehman Fire Department.