David H. Meisell ’75 was Honored as 2015 Firefighter of the Year by the 100 Club. The 100 Club is an organization that provides assistance to dependents of certified peace officers and Firefighters who are killed or catastrophically injured in the line of duty while protecting our lives and property. They also provide law enforcement agencies with life protecting equipment that cannot be secured through budgeted funds; and provide law enforcement with educational opportunities.
As he was heading home on July 30, 2014, Firefighter David H. Meisell was traveling on Highway 71 through Bastrop, when he witnessed several people fleeing from the site of a major accident involving an 18-wheeler and two passenger vehicles. The fuel tank of one of the vehicles burst into flames as the driver of the other vehicle safely escaped on her own, while Firefighter Meisell jumped into action with his fire extinguisher. In his attempts to free the vehicle’s passenger, Meisell had to break the window and pull her to safety. Meisell then attempted to free the driver as the fire quickly progressed, but because the door was jammed and the driver was pinned inside, Meisell and subsequent responders were unable to save the victim, despite repeated and prolonged attempts to do so. As the local fire department arrived on the scene, Meisell, despite having received burns and other injuries, stayed to provide his assistance. He put himself in harm’s way while off duty that night, displaying tremendous courage and heroism.