FIRST RESPONDERS
Daily Independent - 09/20/2019
Goodyear hospital awards several Valley EMS crews
Abrazo West Campus
honored local Emergency
Medical Services person-
nel for heroic work during
its annual EMS Heroes
awards luncheon on the
hospital campus.
“As a Level 1 Trauma
Center, the Abrazo West
Campus serves the West
Valley and patients from
as far away as the Arizo-
na/California border,” said
Abrazo West CEO Christi-
na Oh. “It is absolutely our
privilege to recognize the
first responders who are
on the front lines of med-
ical emergencies in our
community.”
Award winners include:
Goodyear Fire Depart-
ment received the Com-
munity Action Award,
which honors an Emergen-
cy Medical Service provid-
er or individual active in
providing EMS care, local
public education or injury
prevention training for the
community. Award recipi-
ents have formed positive
community and local hos-
pital relationships. They
exemplify outstanding pro-
fessionalism, leadership,
dedication to duty, and ser-
vice to the community.
Buckeye Fire-Medi-
cal-Rescue and Buckeye
Valley Fire District re-
ceived the Clinical Ex-
cellence Award for an in-
dividual or agency that
demonstrates commit-
ment to the principles of
quality improvement, cus-
tomer service, and excel-
lence in EMS. The winner
significant demonstrated
professionalism in the per-
formance of his/hers du-
ties. The person or group
has personally or organiza-
tionally improved the qual-
ity of patient care to the
community.
Avondale Fire & Med-
ical, Tolleson Fire De-
partment, Phoenix Fire
Department and Ameri-
can Medical Response re-
ceived the Siren Award.
The award recognizes a
team of individuals from
one or multiple agencies
who performed exception-
al or heroic actions and ex-
emplary teamwork in sav-
ing or attempting to save
Copyright � 2019 Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA, All rights reserved. 09/20/2019
September 20, 2019 11:11 am (GMT +7:00)
Copy Reduced to 79% from original to fit letter page
Clinical Excellence Award was presented to Buckeye Fire-Medical-Rescue and Buckeye Valley Fire District for the
difficult field delivery of an OB patient. [Submitted photo/Abrazo West Campus]
the life of another.
Gila Bend Fire Depart-
ment and Air Methods
Careflight 381 earned the
Lifesaving Award for an
outstanding call/incident/
rescue by EMS person-
nel for a lifesaving act in
which quick thinking, fast
action, and heroism were
demonstrated. They have
made a positive change in
the life of others through
their professionalism and
lifesaving efforts.
“Our community Emer-
gency Medical Service
providers are vital links in
the life-saving teams who
care for sick and injured
patients in their most vul-
nerable moments,” Ms. Oh
said. “It is truly an hon-
or to see our hospital staff
and these local EMS he-
roes working side-by-side
to provide life-saving care
for our loved ones, friends
and neighbors.”
Abrazo West Campus is
a state Level I trauma cen-
ter and a teaching hos-
pital, with doctors from
Abrazo’s general surgery
and internal medicine res-
idency programs complet-
ing rotations through the
trauma center, working
alongside emergency and
trauma care physicians.
The hospital’s trauma
center recently marked
its fifth anniversary, with
critically injured patients
from across southwestern
Arizona being transport-
ed for treatment at Abra-
zo West.
Editor’s Note: Informa-
NEWS IN BRIEF
was the investigative lead.
tion provided by Abrazo
West Campus in Goodyear.
GILA COUNTY
PHOENIX
Crews battle
1 in custody after fires across
stabbing man to multiple
death buildings
PHOENIX (AP) — Phoe-
nix police said one per-
son was killed and another
wounded in shooting which
homicide investigators be-
lieve may have been related
to an earlier altercation.
The incident happened
Wednesday night near 24th
Street and McDowell Road.
A police spokesman said
one person was found dead
with a stab wound, a man
considered a suspect was
found nearby with a gun-
shot wound and a third
person considered “an in-
vestigative lead” also was
located.
The suspect, identified
as Raven Makuau, 36, was
booked into jail on a sec-
ond-degree murder charge.
Jose Carlos Valencia, 49,
was pronounced dead at
the hospital.
Detective Luis Samu-
dio said investigators de-
termined that Mr. Valencia
was involved in an alterca-
tion earlier in the day with
Mr. Makuau. Police had
originally said the investi-
gative lead was involved in
the fight.
Mr. Samudio said Mr.
Makuau was released from
the hospital and was de-
tained for questioning, as
bodies of Matthew Pad-
zunas and Vanessa Pla-
ma, both 37, were found in-
side a home around 10 a.m.
Wednesday in the city’s Des-
ert Cedars subdivision.
Police said it’s unclear
what led up to the shooting,
but they consider Ms. Pla-
ma the murder victim and
Mr. Padzunas the suicide
suspect. They also said a re-
cords check shows Mr. Pad-
zunas was arrested in June
for disorderly conduct after
allegedly throwing water on
his wife.
Maricopa is located about
35 miles south of Phoenix.
PHOENIX
Woman,
boyfriend
accused of
abusing her
young son
PHOENIX (AP) — A
MIAMI (AP) — Firefight- Phoenix woman and her
ers from multiple agencies onboyfriend are facing child
Thursday battled to contain abuse charges for alleged-
a fire involving five buildings
ly hitting and punching her
in downtown Miami, a small 6-year-old
town about 70 miles east of son because
Phoenix. he was hav-
Miami Police Chief Keith ing trouble
Thompson said cause of the pronouncing
fire near Live Oak Street and words and
Miami Avenue was under in- reading sen-
vestigation. William Johnson tences.
News video showed fire Police said
trucks shooting water onto Nicole Lynne
the roofs and sides of sever- Marker, 26,
al buildings, one of which ap- and William
peared to be gutted. Johnson, 28,
Mr. Thompson said one fire- were taken
fighter suffered a minor injury. into custody
The Arizona Department Tuesday.
of Transportation said it hadNicole Marker Neither
no report of the fire causing had an attor-
delays of traffic on U.S. 60, an
ney at their initial court ap-
east-west highway that bisects
pearance.
Miami. Police said their investi-
gation began in April when
PINAL COUNTY they were called to the boy’s
school about a burn on his
Married couple right arm that he says was
identified in caused by Mr. Johnson.
A probable cause state-
murder-suicide ment said police watched
several hours of video clips
MARICOPA (AP) — Po- recorded inside and outside
lice have released the names the child’s home.
of a married couple who Police said three of the
died in a murder-suicide in 2,200 video clips allegedly
Maricopa, south of Phoenix. show Ms. Marker punching
Maricopa police said the the boy in the face and chest
Page : 04
while more than 20 alleged-
ly show Mr. Johnson hitting
the child.
NORTH PHOENIX
Pedestrian killed
in collision
A 59-year-old man was
struck and killed while walk-
ing across a Phoenix street.
The incident occurred
around 2:30 p.m. Wednes-
day near 19th Avenue and
Bell Road.
Phoenix police said Dan-
iel Niles was entering the
crosswalk against a red light
when an SUV struck him.
Mr. Niles was taken to
the hospital and was pro-
nounced dead.
The driver remained on
scene and was no injured.
Police said speeding and
impairment don’t appear to
be factors. The investigation
is ongoing
PIMA COUNTY
Police ID teen
found shot to
death
The Tucson Police Depart-
ment is actively investigating
a fatal shooting that occurred
on the city’s south side.
Around 6 a.m. Wednesday,
officers responded to the
area of Calle Joya de Ven-
tura and Avenida Selva Del
Ocote for reports of a dead
male lying on the ground.
Upon arrival, officers lo-
cated a 15-year-old boy with
obvious signs of gunshot
trauma.
He was pronounced dead
on-scene and later identified
as Erik Isaac Nañez.
Detectives believe mul-
tiple people were pres-
ent when the shooting took
place.
Neighbors told detectives
the gunshots were heard the
previous evening and sever-
al people and vehicles were
seen leaving immediately af-
ter the shots.
No 911 calls were made
that night. Detectives are
currently following up on
leads, but are asking any-
one with information to call
88-CRIME.
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