Village of Goshen honors the actions of six members of the police department

Goshen Village Police Chief James C. Watt this week announced his department’s Officers of the Year for 2019 and 2020 as well Departmental Unit Citations for 2020.

“Due to the on-going pandemic situation, we are unable to have a formal presentation of awards at Village Hall,” Watt said in his press release detailing what the officers did to earn the distinction.

“At a time when society is re-examining the role of police officers, it is interesting to note that all six of the awardees are being recognized for life-saving actions,” the chief added. “This also is the first time we have ever had an officer win two life-saving awards in one year. Sgt. Smoulcey and Ptl. Hunt are both recognized for two separate life-saving actions in the year 2020.

“I (also) have awarded a Departmental Unit Citation to all members of the department who served this community during the 2020 calendar year,” Watt said. “This is only the second Departmental Unit Citation award that has been given to the department in my career. The previous one was in 1985, for the Department’s service during the Brink’s Trial.”

All awardees will be given a citation bar for wear on their uniform.

Watt provided the following summaries of the officers’ action:

Ptl. Robert A. Kozlowski, Officer of the Year for 2019 in the category of Lifesaving Award

Ptl. Justin Velez, 2020 Officer of the Year in the category of Lifesaving Award

Kozlowski and Velez, in separate instances - one on On Dec. 13, 2019, and the other on Jan. 14, 2020, used tourniquets to control serious bleeding and save lives.

The details of both cases are similar, including the result: Both patients successfully recovered. The outline of both cases goes like this:

The officers each responded to a call of an elderly female undergoing a procedure at a medical office who was experiencing severe hemorrhaging from a nicked artery. Both officers applied dressings and direct pressure, which failed to control the bleeding.

Then assessing the situation as life-threatening, each officer applied his department-issued tourniquet and stopped the bleeding.

They then assisted Mobile Life in transporting the women to Orange Regional Medical Center where the patients underwent surgery and have since made full recoveries.

Sgt. Christopher S. Smoulcey and Ptl. Cody R. Hunt, Officers of the Year for 2020 in the category of Lifesaving Award.

On July 6, 2020, Smoulcey and Hunt responded to a call of a car into a fence with the driver having a medical emergency. Smoulcey and Hunt found the driver, a 63-year-old man, on the ground and unconscious with no pulse.

They immediately began CPR, with Smoulcey providing rescue breathing with a Bag Valve Mask and Hunt performing chest compressions. They maintained CPR while GOVAC deployed an AED and shocked the patient.

The patient failed to regain consciousness but began breathing on his own. Smoulcey provided supplemental oxygen and both officers prepared the patient and assisted GOVAC in transporting the victim to Orange Regional Medical Center where he has since made a full recovery.

Sgt. Christopher S. Smoulcey, Ptl. Brandon T. Raab, Ptl. Francis E. Winski and Ptl. Cody R. Hunt, Officers of the Year for 2020 in the category of Lifesaving Award

On July 9, 2020, Smoulcey and Winski responded to a priority call of an unconscious 52-year-old woman who was not breathing.

Smoulcey and Winski assessed the woman’s medical condition and began CPR, with Smoulcey providing rescue breathing with a Bag Valve Mask while Winski performed chest compressions.

Raab and Hunt arrived on the scene and took over CPR with Raab performing chest compressions and Hunt providing rescue breathing. Meanwhile Smoulcey and Winski prepared oxygen and Narcan for deployment. They maintained CPR while Mobile Life deployed an AED and Narcan to the patient.

The patient became semi-conscious and was taken to Garnet Medical Center (formerly known as Orange Regional Medical Center) where she has since made a full recovery.

‘In keeping with the traditions of the Village of Goshen Police Department’

Smoulcey’s, Kozlowski’s, Velez’s, Raab’s, Winski’s and Hunt’s “fast response, professionalism and decisiveness in treating a life-threatening emergency resulted in the patient receiving the critical medical care needed to save her life,” Watt wrote in each of his citations. “The actions ... are exemplary for all law enforcement and in keeping with the finest traditions of the Village of Goshen Police Department.

“With my respect,” the chief added, “and congratulations,.”