Title
To Recognize the Service of Columbus Firefighters to Kay Werk
Body
WHEREAS, Firefighters from Station 12 were dispatched to an “injured in a fall” call for service in the summer of 2020. As they arrived at the home, they realized that this was the home of Kay Werk; and
WHEREAS, Kay Werk is widely known among Columbus firefighters. Kay was inducted into The Ohio State University College of Social Work Hall of Fame for her work helping to develop the Division’s Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) program, which formalized a team of peers to address the mental and emotional wellbeing of firefighters coping with trauma and stress; and
WHEREAS, The responding firefighters found Kay wedged in her 5 by 7 foot bathroom where she had fallen out of her wheelchair. Kay suffered a stroke 10 years ago that significantly impacts her mobility, she requires the use of a motorized wheelchair to navigate her home; and
WHEREAS, As Kay recovered from a fracture suffered during her fall, Columbus Firefighters, aided by donations from the Columbus Firefighters Foundation, the 2012 Columbus Fire Recruit class, and local businesses renovated her home to make it more accessible. Kay’s cramped bathroom was completely redesigned into a 9 by 15 foot ADA accessible space with lower countertops and roll-in shower; and
WHEREAS, As she returned from the rehabilitation facility, Kay was greeted by a welcome party in blue firefighter uniforms. Led by Lt. George Wallace, the crews from Station 17 did the majority of the renovation, especially Rob Blunk, Rob Cooper, John Hagan, Chad Bair, Mike Hatem, John Capretta, Mark Maddox, Randy Porter, and retirees Rex Osbourn, Dan Rainey and Rick Schock; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this Council does hereby recognize the service of Columbus Firefighters to Kay Werk, who dedicated her career to supporting the mental and emotional wellbeing of Columbus’s first responders.
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