Shrewsbury Police Officers Honored for Saving Lives

A pair of officers have been recognized by their colleagues for taking actions that saved the lives of two people.

Officers Tomey Fultz and Greg Haug received the commendations at a Shrewsbury Board of Aldermen meeting last Tuesday night. Lt. Lisa Vargas presented the awards and said it’s important that the community be aware of the good work done by its police force.

Fultz received the Meritorious Service Citation for a call January 12, 2012, concerning a 72-year-old woman who had fallen unconscious at . Fultz arrived at the scene ahead of paramedics and immediately began performing CPR on the woman, who had no breathing or pulse, until the paramedics arrived. 

The woman was then resuscitated and transported to the hospital. The four additional minutes it took EMS personnel to arrive were critical, according to Vargas.

"Had he not taken immediate action, it may have cost this woman her life," she said.

Haug's heroics were of a similar nature but included a more dangerous element. He was given the department's highest honor, the Chief’s Commendation for Valor. 

In the early morning hours of Dec. 31, 2011, Haug was transporting a subject to a homeless shelter when he saw a vehicle that had crashed into several poles near the intersection of Jefferson and Scott avenues. According to Vargas, the vehicle was engulfed in flames and the driver remained inside the vehicle, motionless. 

Haug immediately positioned his cruiser to shield the accident and rushed to remove the driver from the burning vehicle. With the help of two civilians, he managed to remove the unconscious man and performed CPR, which revived the victim. 

Vargas said Haug acted without regard for his own safety and successfully saved another human life.

"He exhibited a great amount of courage and selflessness in his efforts to rescue the driver form the burning vehicle with no additional fire protection gear at all," Vargas said. 

Afterwards, the officers said they relied on their training as a police officer to act in such tense moments.

“You don’t really think about it,” Fultz said, “you just do.”

For Haug, it allowed him to push the past fear he felt when he approached the burning vehicle.

“You just focus on the task at hand,” he said. “This is why we do the training. It’s just what every officer does every day.”