Protective Services recently presented 15 people with Life Saving Awards for heroic actions this past year. Attending the Oct. 20 awards ceremony were, back row (l-r): Anthony Campbell, chief, Yale Police Department; Kennedy Hampton, chaplain; Nick Proto, director, Protective Services; Dean Caruso, vice president, Support Services and Sustainability; Michael Holmes, chief operating officer; Thomas Mendillo, manager, Patrol Operations; Stephanie McGuire, manager, Security Technology; and Lt. James Burr. Front row (l-r): Philip Pilletere; Andre Velez; Gabrielle Cotto; William Hurley; Dennis Mastriano; Gary Verni; Mustafa Adil; Christopher Orozco; William Cosgrove; Luigi Amasino; and David Uliano. Missing from photo: Mark Foster, Peter Brano and Jon Awalt.
At an Oct. 20 ceremony, Yale New Haven Hospital’s Protective Services department recognized 15 people for using their training, empathy and communication skills to save lives.
Honored with Life Saving Awards were: Security specialist Mustafa Adil; officers Philip Pilletere, William Hurley, Andre Velez, David Uliano, William Cosgrove, Christopher Orozco, Mark Foster, Dennis Mastriano, Gary Verni, Luigi Amasino, Peter Brano and Lt. James Burr; central communications officer Jon Awalt; and Yale police officer Gabrielle Cotto.
“Security in a healthcare setting is so complex,” said Nicholas Proto, director, YNHH Protective Services. “It covers everything from greeting folks as they come in the door to jumping into action during an emergency, and that’s what we’re celebrating.”
Proto was joined by Michael Holmes, YNHH executive vice president and chief operating officer, and Dean Caruso, YNHH vice president, Support Services and Sustainability, as stories of the awardees’ heroics were read:
On June 4, Adil received a report of a possible jumper on the Air Rights garage roof and dispatched Pilletere. Pilletere distracted the person as he tried to climb over the wall, allowing a New Haven Police officer to stop him. Pilletere and the New Haven officer detained the person until emergency medical services personnel arrived.
On July 30, Mastriano, Verni, Amasino and Brano responded to a shooting on Howard Avenue, near the Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital Emergency Department. They found a 13-year-old shooting victim in a car in the ED parking lot. Brano took the victim into the ED while Verni tried to speak to the driver. The driver sped off, striking Verni. Protective Services notified and provided video footage to New Haven Police to help their investigation.
On May 15, Hurley, Velez, Uliano and Cotto were dispatched to the York Street Campus Adult Emergency Department and saw what appeared to be a group of people in a vehicle shooting at the occupants of a different vehicle. All responding officers drew their service weapons while running toward the scene which led the shooter to lower his weapon and flee. No additional shots were fired, and the responding officers were able to give New Haven Police information about the fleeing vehicle while detaining the occupants of the vehicle that had been shot.
On May 9, Officers Cosgrove, Orozco and Foster joined Burr at a hospital property for a report of a possible kidnapping. The officers dealt with a complicated situation and worked with New Haven Police to ensure the child was safely returned to the parent.
During the awards ceremony, Proto praised all YNHH Protective Services officers, who responded to 150,000 calls for assistance and had 30,000 interactions with patients this past year.
