Cheney also approves city's six-year transportation improvement plan
By BECKY THOMAS
Staff Reporter
Cheney police officers Chris Oakes and Dave Bailey saved a man's life in April.
Oakes and Bailey were presented with the International Association of Chiefs of Police Lifesaving Award at Tuesday's Cheney City Council meeting after they administered first aid to a man they found at the end of a trail of blood on Second Street April 28.
That night, Oakes responded to citizen reports of a blood trail at the intersection of Second and F streets, and officers followed the trail nearly a mile before it led to a residence.
“They were unable to get a response at the door,” Cheney Police Chief John Hensley told the council Tuesday. “Realizing that somebody on the other side of the door may need help, they forced entry and found a young man who had cut himself and was unconscious and unresponsive.”
Oakes and Bailey administered first aid that saved the man's life, fire and emergency room officials later confirmed. After he recovered from the wounds , the man was later arrested for malicious mischief—the wounds he received came from punching a window—but without the officers' aid, he wouldn't be alive. The IACF approved Cheney's application to bestow the two officers with Lifesaving Awards, and their names will be added to the American Police Officers Hall of Fame in Washington, D.C.
Hensley said the two men represented the rest of the Cheney Police Department.
“These gentlemen, when they heard this was being submitted, they thought it was unnecessary, but I believe they needed to be recognized,” he added.
Hensley said he believed Oakes and Bailey actually saved two lives within a month, pointing to the restraint the same two officers showed in not shooting armed and intoxicated former EWU football player Chandler Gayton in May.
“We've been affectionately calling them Batman and Robin,” Hensley said.
After the officers received their awards, the council handled several items of business, highlighted by the approval of a six-year transportation plan for 2013-18.
The plan calls for 10.3 miles of street restoration costing around $6.2 million. Public Works director Todd Ableman said $2.2 million of that total was currently unfunded. The city currently uses the residential street and sidewalk tax to help repair streets; the program sunsets at the end of this year, but a renewal will be on the Aug. 7 ballot. Streets tabbed for repair in the next five years include Betz Road, North Sixth Street and Simpson Parkway, along with portions of residential streets throughout the city.
Also at the meeting, the council approved several contracts for work:
• The council approved a one-year contract extension with Intrinium Networks for city IT service.
• Shamrock Paving was the low bidder on the 2012 street improvement projects, which includes street preservation as well as the construction of the extended Simpson Parkway. The contract totaled $1.05 million.
• Mountain Utilities was awarded a $31,600 contract to install a 12-inch water main on a portion of Salnave Road. Fifteen residences currently served by a 4-inch main would see an improvement in water quality and pressure, Ableman said.
• Elder Roofing was awarded a $20,800 contract for resurfacing the roof of City Hall.
Becky Thomas can be reached at becky@cheneyfreepress.com.
Reader Comments(0)