Valero Benicia Refinery Fire Department earned four trophies in the annual International Rescue and Emergency Care Association (IRECA) competition in Boise, Idaho, last month.
They faced competitors from multiple states in this “world champion”-level competition that involved about 160 participants.

Marlo Reyes, a Valero employee and IRECA Board member, said 13 members of the Valero Fire Department brought the trophies home to Benicia. Valero has been competing in the event since the 1970s, Reyes said.

Earning first place in basic life support were Valero’s three-responder team of Zak Bailey, team captain, Art Gray and Josh Winterburn.

“The completion is fierce,” Winterburn said. He said in the Basic Life Support contest, “each team is evaluated on NREMT (National Registry Emergency Medical Technician) standards, and any topics are potentially evaluated.

“Teams are put into four separate scenarios and are given 20 minutes for each scenario to treat all injuries,” he said. The competition is designed to test the teams in extreme scenarios evaluating medical treatment, resource management, and overall patient care.”

The Valero team of Matt Kellas, team captain, and Jamey Dille, Rob Hoffman and Harley Peek placed first in the category of four-responder first response rescue. The First Response Rescue Challenge combines the medical skills of basic life support with the rescue skills of a technical rescue, Reyes said.

It tests four-rescuer teams in rescue and medical situations they could face as the first responders at a scene.

Another Valero team took second place in four-responder first-response rescue: Winterburn, team captain, Bailey, Gray and Lyman Weaver.

Taking second place in the Technical Rescue Challenge was Valero’s seven-responder team of Reyes, captain, and Steve Beafore, Kellas, Peek, Dale Salvador, Weaver and Winterburn.

Gray also achieved the top score on a written examination on basic life support, putting him ahead of more than 54 other test-takers.

The Technical Rescue Challenge challenges each team on its members’ knowledge and ability to perform real-life scenarios using a variety of techniques. The scenario this year called for a patient to be removed from a confined space before being lowered four stories.

The competition required each team to supply two well-experienced rescuers to judge the competitors, and Gray and Ryan Pool were Valero’s judges, evaluating safety and treatment of “patients.” Those that had to be placed into stokes baskets needed to be tied properly, so judges also had to be experts in field rescue.

The scenarios were designed to mimic real-life medical emergencies that could be experienced in an industrial setting, such as confined spaces, hazardous atmospheres, loud areas, high heat, working at high elevations, team separation and fatigue. Some were combined into “worst possible” scenarios.

The International Rescue and Emergency Care Association provides educational programs and standards for emergency responders worldwide.

Comic book icon to visit Bay Area

Stan Lee, publisher of Marvel Comics, based in New York, will visit Flying Colors Comics and Other Cool Stuff, 2980 Treat Blvd., Concord, on its 25th anniversary from 12:30-3 p.m. Aug. 7.

Lee has created multiple comic book titles as a writer, editor and publisher since 1941. He has participated in the creation of such comics as “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “The Incredible Hulk, ‘The Avengers,” “The Fantastic Four,” “The Uncanny X-Men” “The Mighty Thor” and “The Invincible Iron Man.”

When movies are made based on those comics, Lee often has a cameo role. He also has portrayed himself on such television shows as “The Big Bang Theory.”

Lee also called store owner Joe Field when he opened Flying Colors 25 years ago. He agreed to attend the store’s 25th anniversary celebration and sign autographs.

Those interested in attending the event may visit the comic book store’s website or visit its Facebook page.

The Benicia Herald’s weekly Benicia Business Beat column is an opportunity for local businesses and companies to tell our readers about such news as moves, grand openings, awards, promotion of employees, staff changes and changes in goods and services.
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— Donna Beth Weilenman