U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden Directorate of Emergency Services Firefighter Sascha Schubert (right) and USAG Wiesbaden Assistant Fire Chief Enrico Gottschalk (left) stand together in front of a local national fire vehicle at the Hessentag 2023 State Fair which was held recently in Pfungstadt. Schubert was awarded the Hessian Rescue Medal, by Hesse’s Minister President Boris Rhein, recognizing his efforts to rescue several individuals and for rendering medical assistance to victims of a multi-car accident on the A-3 highway near the Frankfurt Airport.
VIEW ORIGINAL
U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden Directorate of Emergency Services Firefighter Sascha Schubert was recently awarded the Hessian Rescue Medal, by Hesse’s Minister President Boris Rhein, recognizing his efforts to rescue several individuals and for rendering medical assistance to victims of a multi-car accident on the A-3 highway near the Frankfurt Airport.
VIEW ORIGINAL
WIESBADEN, Germany — U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden Directorate of Emergency Services Firefighter Sascha Schubert was recently awarded the Hessian Rescue Medal, by Hesse’s Minister President Boris Rhein, recognizing his efforts to rescue several individuals and for rendering medical assistance to victims of a multi-car accident on the A-3 highway near the Frankfurt Airport.
In May 2022 at 4 a.m., Schubert was on his way home when he came upon a serious car accident on highway A-3, near the Frankfurt Airport, with potential to include serious injuries – seeing no first responders on site he knew he had to take action.
Without hesitation or thoughts of his personal safety, the Wiesbaden firefighter put on a high-visibility jacket, grabbed his first-aid kit, and headed to the involved vehicles to assess the situation and provide medical assistance.
His first action, once on site, was to call the Frankfurt rescue control center to report the accident and get much needed help, before he started providing critical aid and care to 13 individuals who had sustained injuries from the crash.
Schubert took charge of the accident site and began providing critical life-saving measures while instructing bystanders to carry out appropriate first aid measures for the less injured.
To further secure the situation, he stopped several motorists who attempted to drive through the accident site which posed a risk to the crash victims, Schubert and his volunteers. His actions, directing traffic, around the crash site was critical to preventing a hazardous environment becoming more dangerous to those volunteers who stopped to help save lives.
Schubert was honored in a ceremony at the Hessentag 2023 State Fair that recognized members of the Hessian State Police, the Federal Police, the judiciary, the Bundeswehr and the U.S. Army for their actions in service to others.
“The honorees are among the people who are there for others. With their exemplary actions, they have shown a sense of responsibility, courage, and determination, standing up for these important values in our society cannot be taken for granted,” said Rhein.
Schubert’s courage, willingness to stop and render aid, and his training were critical in preventing a bad situation from getting worse. His actions as the initial first responder on site, though off-duty, ensured a secure crash site allowing for medical aid to be rendered. It was these efforts that were lauded by Rhein.
“Today’s awards are not only a visible sign of our recognition and appreciation, but they are also an expression of a solidary and lively civil society,” said Rhein.