FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Springfield Fire Department is proud to announce that Rescue Specialist Marc Becker and Firefighter Michael Kuss, along with a Logan-Rogersville firefighters Grant Peters and Roy Harris, will be recognized by the International Association of Water Rescue Professionals at their conference in South Bend, Indiana for a swiftwater rescue incident to which they responded on May 29th, 2015. During the incident, the emergency responders helped rescue a family of 5 swept away during a major storm and flooding in the area. During all of 2015, RS Becker was involved in the safe rescue of individuals during 11 water rescue calls and FF Kuss made 10 water rescues. The Higgins and Langley Memorial Awards signifies and demonstrates outstanding skills and preparedness in a swiftwater rescue incident. The internationally recognized award honors civilian rescuer, Earl Higgins, who lost his life in February of 1980, while saving the life of a child who was swept away in the flood swollen Los Angeles River, and firefighter/paramedic Jeffrey Langley of the Los Angeles County Fire Dept., a swiftwater rescue pioneer, who lost his life in a helicopter accident in March of 1993. # # # For more information, contact: Assistant Chief of Operations David Pennington, 417-864-1530 (office) | [email protected]