MEMPHIS — The three crew members who were killed when their Hospital Wing helicopter crashed in Fayette County on Oct. 22, 2013, will be honored this week in Memphis.
Family members will accept the state’s Three Stars Award on behalf of helicopter pilot Charles D. Smith, a retired Memphis Police lieutenant; Carrie Barlow, a pediatric nurse; and Denise Adams, a pediatric respiratory therapist.
The awards presentation will be held during the District 11 Homeland Security meeting at 9 a.m. Jan. 22 at the Shelby County Office of Preparedness Operations Command Center, 1075 Mullins Station Road, Memphis.
The Three Star Award is Tennessee’s highest award for peace officers, firefighters and medical first responders killed or injured in the line of duty.
Representatives of many law enforcement and emergency response agencies will be at the ceremony, according to Dale Lane, director of the Shelby County Office of Preparedness.
“We hope the tribute will bring some comfort to the families of those killed in the helicopter crash,” Lane said.
Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell Jr. said, “We are pleased to host this important event. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the relatives and co-workers of those dedicated community servants.”
Agencies and officials who will be recognizing the three helicopter crash victims during the meeting include the Shelby County Office of Preparedness, the State of Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, and Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris.
The Hospital Wing is a non-profit air medical transport partnership with local hospitals. The helicopter involved in the crash two years ago was part of the Pedi-Flight program that specializes in the critical-care transport of children.
For more information about the Three Stars Award, contact Rick Shipkowski, deputy Homeland Security advisor for the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, at (615) 532-7825 or via email to rick.shipkowski@tn.gov.
