Security Guard Risks Himself to Bring a Stranger to Safety
RICHMOND, Ky. July 2 2023– First responders are often put in situations most people don’t encounter; there is always the possibility of them being forced into a split-second decision to save someone’s life or consider their own personal safety.
Early on the morning on Jan. 20, O’Brien was assigned to the BGAD Truck Gate security post. A man driving a semi-trailer truck carrying more than 5-thousand gallons of fuel fell asleep at the wheel, ran a red light, hit a barbed wire fence, and crashed into a main natural gas line. The collision caused approximately 35 gallons of diesel fuel to leak from the truck onto the ground while natural gas spewed heavily into the air.
“We just heard a loud noise. I initially thought it was an airplane, but then we saw the semi and a natural gas geyser. The noise it made was deafening, and the winds pulled it, and within 2-3 seconds, we could smell and taste [the mercaptan odorant present in] the gas. I radioed in for fire, EMS, and police to be called to the scene. That’s when I noticed the driver wasn’t getting out of the truck.”
O’Brien, understanding the severity of the situation, immediately sprang into action. He ran to the cab, which was wrapped in the barbed wire fence. The driver was still inside the truck.
“I ran toward him, yelling to get out of the truck. I saw the door prop, and he said he couldn’t get out. I remember thinking we got to go. We got to get out of here.”
While inhaling the highly flammable fumes and eyeing the liquid pouring out of the truck, which later was identified as diesel fuel, O’Brien takes out his multi-tool and starts cutting the barbed wire. He forced the jammed door open and severed the safety belt holding the driver in.
“He must have been scared or in some state of shock. I had to tell him a couple of times to get out of the truck. I didn’t tell him why. I just told him we had to get out of there.”
O’Brien and the driver ran back to the guard shack, where O’Brien’s partner Jake Miracle constantly communicated with the BGAD Desk Sergeant. Both security guards quickly assessed the man for medical issues, put him into a truck, and drove back to what they felt was a safe location.
“We further assessed him, obtained his ID, and checked him for weapons at the hill while waiting for the fire department. We were concerned that the fire department would need the gate open for easier access, so we radioed another security guard Brandon Jones to drive up to the gate, open it and then fall back quickly. When the fire department arrived, they assessed the driver again and advised us to pull back further toward Lake Vaga just in case the natural gas ignited.”
O’Brien said the BGAD firefighters told him everyone involved was lucky the natural gas line didn’t somehow ignite because the effect would have been catastrophic. He humbly said the response to the incident was a team effort, and all the professionals performed in sync with each other.
“We have dealt with multiple wrecks and injury accidents out here. It’s almost part of the routine. In my mind, it was just another incident to work through and take care of,” said O’Brien. “I’m just a piece of this puzzle. It was a team effort…my partner, my platoon, the firefighters… It was muscle memory. Everyone was professional and did the right thing. There were no mistakes. We didn’t overwork or overthink it. Everyone did a great job.”
O’Brien also said the first responders minimized their natural gas intake, and no one reported being sick from the fumes. The BGAD Director of Emergency Services, Erin Weaver, said he is proud of O’Brien and his actions in this incident were nothing short of heroic.
“That natural gas leak was an obvious dangerous event, and O’Brien, without hesitation, put his life on the line by running of post, towards the danger, to get that man out of the wrecked truck,” said Weaver. “Honestly, that wasn’t in his job description as a security guard. We teach our security guards to think of their own safety in situations, and he would have been in the right to call the fire department and stay a safe distance from the wreck until emergency responders arrived. He did a remarkable act of bravery, heroism, and gallantry at great personal risk to himself. I am proud of him and honored to work with him here at BGAD.”
Weaver also said this was not the first incident of a vehicle running the red light at the intersection of Duncannon and Highway 25 that crashed into the gas line in front of the installation. Since the accident on Jan. 20, Delta Gas has moved the gas line south of the BGAD truck gate with hoping the gas line won’t be damaged again.
Col. Brett A. Ayvazian, commander of the BGAD, presented O’Brien a commander’s coin as a thank you for his bravery. Ayvazian also recommended O’Brien receive a Department of the Army civilian heroism award for his actions.
