Storey County is amongst the smallest counties in the state of Nevada at just over 5,000 people. Hulled by the boom and bust of silver mining many years gone, it isn’t as popular as its neighbors, Reno and Carson City—and residents like it that way. The visitors they do get come for an old fashioned experience and all the peace and calm that entails.

One night in mid-August that peace broke, right after dinner. Corporal Eli Kerr of the Story County Sheriff’s Department, working alone that night, was first on scene at the burning garage. Within minutes, Captain Derek St. Clair of the Storey County Sheriff’s Office and Derek Giurlani of Storey County Fire responded to the call and joined him. For the municipality, this was a full response.

“I had my fire extinguisher all ready when I came out of the car and the building was locked so I was able to kick the door in and I deployed my fire extinguisher but there was so much smoke you could barely see anything,” Kerr recalled.

Thinking Fast, Acting Faster

Observing a victim trapped inside the house and armed with the knowledge they had to act fast, the trio breached the building with little more than their service gear. “At that time, we kind of upped the ante and just made entry without pulling a fire hose,” Captain St. Clair said.

Thanks to their quick work, the lone victim was recovered quickly and lifesaving measures like airway treatment began as they transported him to the local hospital, where he made a full recovery from his injury. This April, the three heroes received a pleasant surprise: The Lifesaving Award, the third highest honor the state can bestow.

“It definitely comes down to the training, the constant training” Giurlani said. “Inside there’s, you’re always going to have the duck under water feeling where those feet are kicking a million miles but, on the outside, he’s calm and cool because he’s been here before.”