‘Honoring Our Own’ – For an Act of Bravery on April 9, 2014
Posted On: Jun 30, 2014
On April 9, 2014, Lt. Edward Nieto was a member of the 3 member flight crew which crashed and caught fire on the roof of UNM during takeoff. Lt. Nieto injured his back and legs and lost consciousness. Upon regaining consciousness he discovered one member had evacuated, he was exiting himself when he noticed the pilot was buckled in and still unresponsive. With complete disregard for his own safety, Lt. Nieto crawled back into to helicopter, removed the pilot and carried him on his shoulders to safety. We are happy to report, that as a result of Lt. Jimmy Nieto's bravery all crew members have made a full recovery including himself. He continues to serve his community on life saving EMS flights when he is not serving with AFD.
The IAFF Local 244 Executive Board recognized Brother Nieto at AFD Station 17 with an Honoring Our Own ceremony on June 29, 2014.