READING, PA, — Day in and day out our country’s public safety professionals perform their jobs with little or no recognition. What they would consider to be in the ordinary line of duty, might turn out to be an action that was life altering for the person they helped. Elbeco Incorporated went on a national search for public safety professionals who made a significant difference in the lives of our nation’s citizens while on the job -- and they found them through its’ “Every Elbeco Uniform Tells a Story” Contest.
After a four-month competition, Elbeco has chosen the Grand, Second and Third prize winners from an exceptional group of 20 finalists who truly made an impact on the job and a difference in someone’s life. “We were thrilled with the quality of the responses we received from the professional community,” said David Lurio, President of Elbeco. “We’re honored that these selfless and courageous men and women shared their stories with us, and we’re honored to be part of this community.”
The Grand Prize winner, Mr. James Quesenbery of Columbus, IN received the Grand Prize for his rescue of a passenger from a burning vehicle. Quesenbery, a member of the Columbus Police Department, had little time to react when he arrived at the scene of an accident on a local highway. “In situations like this you just act on instinct,” Quesenbery recalls. “It was a difficult situation, and working together as a team we did what we had to do.”
Elbeco awarded the Second Prize to the Alton, IL, Fire Department’s Technical Rescue Instructor Bernie Sebold. Officer Sebold’s story recalled how he was summoned to the scene of a suicide attempt in the middle of the night. An 18-year-old woman had jumped from the top of a 160-ft. river bluff, but landed just 40 feet below. When fire crews found the woman screaming for help, they summoned Sebold. He and another firefighter were lowered down the rock face to the victim. They trauma packaged her in a Stokes basket, and then Sebold and the woman were lowered the remaining 120 feet to the road below. The young woman was transported to the hospital where she made a full recovery. “It’s not everyday that you are part of a trauma like this,” Sebold says. “I was part of a team who executed their jobs perfectly, and the result was a successful rescue.”
Officer Edward Kontul of Ohio’s Perry Township Police Department received the Third Prize for his story on what seemed like a routine traffic violation. A car made an illegal U-turn right in front of Officer Kontul, and when he stopped the driver, he found a confused elderly gentleman with no ID in a car registered to a woman residing in Florida. “The man was looking for his wife’s friend’s home and had become lost,” recounts Kontul. “As it turns out, after I did some investigating, the gentleman was an Alzheimer’s patient in an assisted living community right down the road. When I brought him back home, his distressed wife was incredibly thankful.”
Each of the winners received recognition on Elbeco’s Web site. Prizes were awarded personally by Elbeco executives, including President David Lurio, Director of Marketing Bruce Snyder, and Director of Sales and Business Development J.D. Devine. The Grand Prize winner received a check for $5,000. The Second Prize winner received a check for $2,500 and a $1,000 retail credit for his department. The Third Prize winner received a check for $1,000 and a $500 retail credit for his department. All the finalists’ stories and the Grand, Second and Third prize winner stories can be viewed at www.elbeco.com.
The “Every Elbeco Uniform Tells a Story” Contest encouraged public safety professionals to submit stories of how they made a significant impact on the job. Five monthly finalists were chosen from September through December 2007. The finalists each received a $100 retail credit to use at their local Elbeco retailer, an Elbeco mug, cap, pen and UFX Performance T-Shirt.
Elbeco Incorporated has been manufacturing uniforms for Police, Fire, EMS, Postal, Tactical, and Transportation personnel for over 100 years. With over 450 union-represented associates, the company is America’s premier and largest manufacturer of union-made uniforms for public safety, supplying over 17,000 agencies across the USA. Elbeco services the uniform needs of this professional community through its network of over 500 authorized dealers in the U.S. and Canada. The majority of Elbeco uniforms are manufactured in the United States, at facilities in Reading and Frackville, Pennsylvania, Galion, Ohio, and Warsaw, Missouri. Additional information about Elbeco Incorporated and its products can be found at www.elbeco.com.