Published: October 15, 2008 09:18 pm      

Two Welch troopers earn Medal of Valor

BLUEFIELD — On July 25, two state troopers with the Welch Detachment of the West Virginia State Police had just finished processing a man they had arrested in Maybeury and were on their way back to the detachment when they heard the sirens from the Welch Volunteer Fire Department fire trucks.

Cpl. C. F. Kane and Senior Trooper J. S. McCarty observed the smoke coming from the Tyson Towers apartment building on McDowell Street in Welch, and immediately returned to downtown Welch to see what they could do to help.

“We looked at the top of the building and could see the smoke and flames coming out,” Kane, 36, said.

“When we pulled up out in front, people were yelling and screaming that there were more people inside as they were coming out,” McCarty, 30, said.

“Trooper McCarty and I have worked together long enough that we didn’t need to ask what we should do,” Kane said. “There was no question. We just went inside to see if we could help.”

The apartment complex was located in a building that formerly served as the historic Carter Hotel, one of the city’s most prominent structures. The Welch Volunteer Fire Department received the call at about 10:25 p.m. While the five-story apartment complex is a brick structure, there was a wooden structure in the middle of the building that was on fire. There were 31 families living in the building at the time of the fire.

“We went up the stairway and encountered people at every level,” Kane said. “All of them were saying that there were more people on the upper levels.”

“We pulled two females out and went back in to get more people out,” McCarty said. “That’s really not part of our training. That event gave me a whole new level of respect for firefighters. I can’t believe what they do, and as volunteers, they’re doing it just to serve their community.” The females that the troopers assisted were both handicapped, and the troopers carried them out of the building, according to the recommendation for the Medal of Valor.

In the understandable confusion of the moment, Kane and McCarty helped direct the Tyson Towers residents down the stairs, but the heat and smoke was too intense for the troopers to get to the fifth floor. The troopers remained on the fourth floor and directed firefighters of the Welch Fire Department wearing bunker gear and oxygen masks to the locations of the remaining survivors. Firefighters from nine southern West Virginia fire departments assisted at the fire. Everyone was able to get out of the building.

“We were just doing our jobs,” McCarty said. “Trooper Kane and I have been out together on a lot of different incidents. We work well together.”

“That’s their jobs, and we’re all so proud of the people who serve us in uniform in this state,” Gov. Joe Manchin said. “I don’t have a vocabulary that’s big enough to give the appropriate accolades to these troopers for the job they do.

“All of our emergency responders are deserving of the thanks of everyone in our state for what they do for us,” Manchin said. “We are so proud of our state, county and local police, all of our firefighters and rescue squad personnel. I can’t thank them enough for what they do.”

Sgt. W.C. Tupper and Sgt. D.W. Miller, co-commanders of the Welch Detachment reviewed Kane and McCarty’s report of the incident and wrote a letter to Col. David L. Lemmon, superintendent of the State Police.

“The superintendent forwarded the recommendation to our Awards & Commendations Board,” Sgt. Jay Powers of the state police said, adding that the board presents lifesaving medals, Purple Heart medals and the Medal Of Valor — the highest honor presented to state troopers.

“The Medal of Valor isn’t presented very frequently at all,” Powers said. “There is no regular set time for this medal to be presented.”

Both Kane and McCarty said they were humbled to receive the medals. “It was an honor just to be nominated,” McCarty said.

– Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com