NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, No. 78

23 JULY 2014

Richard Frank PLATT

Senior Firefighter, New Zealand Fire Service

Citation

On 22 February 2011 a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Christchurch, causing the collapse of the Pyne Gould Corporation building, trapping around 30 people inside. In order to enter the office space of the collapsed building, Senior Firefighter Richard Platt and other firefighters had to break through layers of concrete with hand tools and grinders before tunnelling through office equipment, furniture and debris to reach trapped victims. Platt and a team of three other firefighters located two women trapped beneath a balcony overhang at the rear of the building. The tunnel they created between the collapsed floors ranged from 30 to 70 centimetres high and did not allow for protective gear to be worn. One woman was located around five metres inside the tunnel. The firefighters were able to clear an access hole and extract her, with crushed toes. The team then located a second woman pinned to her chair by a concrete beam. The legs were cut from her chair allowing her to be rescued. When he was not actively tunnelling Platt provided support to trapped persons nearby. After approximately four hours, Platt’s team was relieved by a second tunnelling team. Richard Platt’s tunnelling efforts were carried out in unstable and confined conditions under the constant threat of aftershocks.

Paul John RODWELL

Station Officer, New Zealand Fire Service

Citation

On 22 February 2011 a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Christchurch, resulting in the collapse of the six-storey Canterbury Television building. A fire had ignited in the lower levels of the building, complicating rescue efforts. The fourth floor had been compressed to a space of approximately 60 centimetres high. Tunnels were created into the fourth floor to gain access to a number of survivors trapped inside. Station Officer Paul Rodwell worked with other firefighters in alternating tunnelling teams of two. The firefighters were unable to use breathing apparatus or wear helmets due to the cramped conditions. Debris had to be passed backwards along the bodies of the rescuers and down the tunnel as there was no room to turn around. Firefighters were stationed at the tunnel entrance so that when there were significant aftershocks they could quickly pull the tunnellers out by their feet. Eventually the team of tunnellers, led by Rodwell, located a small group of students trapped under a beam. Two bodies had to be removed before the students could be reached. One student was trapped by her ankle and it took a long time to free her, but amputation was avoided. A second student was trapped by his head, but was pulled from beneath the beam and extracted through the tunnel. A third student could not immediately be freed and an amputation was carried out by a civilian doctor assisted by another team of firefighters. Rodwell assisted in the extraction of the third student once the amputation was completed. The rescue efforts of Paul Rodwell and his team were carried out in dense smoke from the fire and under the constant threat of aftershocks.

Scott Martin SHADBOLT

Firefighter, New Zealand Fire Service

Citation

On 22 February 2011 a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Christchurch, causing the collapse of the Pyne Gould Corporation building, trapping around 30 people inside. Firefighter Scott Shadbolt was tasked with formulating an extraction plan for a man discovered trapped inside the building, in danger of bleeding to death with his legs crushed between a concrete pillar and a collapsed floor section. Firefighter Shadbolt was assisted by a Police constable and two civilian doctors in performing a complete double amputation of the trapped man’s legs using a hacksaw and a penknife. The man was anaesthetised with morphine and ketamine and tourniquets were applied to his legs. The civilian doctor performing the amputation became fatigued and the hacksaw was passed between the Police officer, the second doctor and Firefighter Shadbolt, who was in a better position to complete the operation. The man was placed in a tarpaulin and carried to waiting ambulance staff outside the building. Firefighter Shadbolt then continued on to create further access holes into the building and assist with rescue efforts. Scott Shadbolt performed an operation with no prior medical experience in unstable and confined conditions under the constant threat of aftershocks, resulting in the trapped man’s survival.

Steven David SMYLIE

Senior Firefighter, New Zealand Fire Service

Citation

On 22 February 2011 a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Christchurch, causing the collapse of the Pyne Gould Corporation building, trapping around 30 people inside. In order to enter the office space of the collapsed building Senior Firefighter Steven Smylie and other firefighters had to break through layers of concrete with hand tools and grinders before tunnelling through office equipment, furniture and debris to reach trapped victims. Smylie and a team of three other firefighters located two women trapped beneath a balcony overhang at the rear of the building. The tunnel they created between the collapsed floors ranged from 30 to 70 centimetres high and did not allow for protective gear to be worn. One woman was located around five metres inside the tunnel. The firefighters were able to clear an access hole and extract her, with crushed toes. The team then located a second woman pinned to her chair by a concrete beam. The legs were cut from her chair allowing her to be rescued. After approximately four hours, Smylie’s team was relieved by a second tunnelling team. Steven Smylie’s tunnelling efforts were carried out in unstable and confined conditions under the constant threat of aftershocks.

Cory John STEWART

Firefighter, New Zealand Fire Service

Citation

On 22 February 2011 a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Christchurch, causing the collapse of the Pyne Gould Corporation building, trapping around 30 people inside. Firefighter Cory Stewart carried out search and rescue efforts inside the second floor of the building with a fellow firefighter. The space they searched was too confined for the firefighters to wear helmets or protective clothing. Stewart made use of his building background to make sound judgements on which parts of the collapsed building were safe to move. Stewart had heard two survivors call out near his location. The first survivor located was an injured woman hemmed into a tight space around 50 centimetres high, four metres into the building. The two firefighters shifted rubble out of the way allowing the woman to be rescued. A second injured man was located pinned behind air-conditioning equipment and was freed using a hacksaw. Stewart also tunnelled into different areas of the collapsed structure to try to establish access points. He relayed this information back to the officer in charge who could direct resources accordingly. The rescue efforts of Cory Stewart were carried out in unstable, confined conditions under the constant threat of aftershocks and falling masonry.