Press Release:
On Friday, April 19, the 100 Club of Buffalo hosted the 65th Annual Hero Awards which recognizes first responders and civilians for heroic actions during the past year.
The event was held at Samuel’s Grande Manor in Clarence, New York, and brought together local law enforcement, fire, EMS, family, friends and 100 Club of Buffalo directors and members to recognize the brave men and women receiving awards. Maryalice Demler, who co-anchors Channel 2 News “On Your Side” served as emcee for the evening.
Genesee County Deputy Sheriff Jeremiah. W. Gechell was the recipient of one of the 2023 Hero Awards. Deputy Gechell began his career in law enforcement with the New York State Corrections and Community Supervision as a Correction Officer in 2016.
He was then hired by the City of Syracuse Police Department in 2020 as a Police Officer and then transferred to the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office on December 6, 2021. In the short time that Deputy Gechell has been with the Sheriff’s Office, he has received three Commendation Awards.
On August 10, 2023, Deputy Gechell was off duty and driving his personal vehicle when he came upon a two-car accident that had just occurred on Main Road in the town of Pembroke. Without hesitation, Deputy Gechell stopped to assist those involved and immediately contacted the Genesee County Emergency Services Dispatch Center. With his law enforcement background, Deputy Gechell provided dispatch with important information a civilian may not know to relay.
The serious collision resulted in four people being injured, one with a severe leg injury, and extrication was required from both vehicles. At the time of the accident, the area was experiencing heavy rain which caused a delay in the response time of fire and EMS. Realizing the leg injury required immediate attention, Deputy Gechell ran to his personal vehicle and retrieved a tourniquet and applied it to the severely injured leg that was bleeding profusely.
Deputy Gechell’s decision to use a tourniquet likely prevented the patient from suffering catastrophic blood loss and, undoubtedly, saved his life. Deputy Gechell demonstrated great courage and professionalism during this incident and went “above and beyond” the call of duty. “Deputy Gechell is an exceptional police officer and is most deserving of the 100 Club of Buffalo Hero Award,” stated Sheriff Sheron.
