By Christine Vendel
The Kansas City Star
KANSAS CITY, MO. — When Kansas City police Officers Michael Livers and Mark McKenney arrived at a medical call in February, they could smell fumes from the street.
A woman who had just crawled from the house yelled, “My sister’s still in there. She’s unconscious!”
A gasoline-powered generator had been pumping toxic carbon monoxide into the house in the 5800 block of Euclid Avenue all day.
Instead of waiting for firefighters, who were about five minutes away, and despite the danger, Livers and McKenney ran inside to save the woman.
For their bravery, they earned the department’s second-highest honor: Distinguished Service Medals, which will be presented today at police headquarters.
McKenney said he and his partner began feeling ill as soon as they entered. They searched each room, struggling to breathe, until finding the woman at the top of the stairs.
Her breaths were shallow, her pulse weak, her nearly 300-pound body limp. Unable to pick her up, the officers each grabbed an arm and dragged her down a tight stairwell to safety. They returned inside to ensure no one else was there.
When firefighters tested the home’s air, carbon monoxide registered at 458 parts per million, a level that is considered “extreme exposure.” People can suffer dizziness, drowsiness and vomiting at levels of 150 parts per million.
A fire captain told police the woman probably would have died if the officers hadn’t rescued her as quickly as they did. Sgt. Michael Glass praised them for “risking their own lives to save the life of a stranger.”
McKenney and Livers are among 10 employees and two teams of officers who are expected to receive awards today.
Copyright 2008 The Kansas City Star