UCLA Health Sciences Communications UCLA nurse Lyn
Riley received the Southbay Fire and Police Dept.’s Medal
of Valor.
By Sabrina Singhapattanapong
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
ssinghapattanapong@media.ucla.edu
Angry flames roared out of the windows and roof of a two-story
backhouse in East L.A., choking the sky with thick black smoke.
Edward Osollo, a paralyzed man, was still trapped inside and
probably would have died if UCLA nurse Lyn Riley had not come to
his rescue.
Riley received the Southbay Fire and Police Department’s
Medal of Valor and is the first civilian to receive this honor in
the department’s 28-year history.
Riley, the UCLA Medical Center’s director of Fire
Department and Law Enforcement Education and Quality Improvement
Program, works with seven fire departments in the L.A. County. She
usually spends her days educating paramedics about the latest
life-saving techniques and rides in helicopters on rescue
missions.
Though Riley usually sits and waits for paramedics to bring in
patients to the ambulance, she said last year’s life-saving
event was a real surprise.
While riding in a police car with two police paramedics, a group
of panic-stricken neighbors near the burning house flagged down the
group as they drove by.
The three were on their way to a routine emergency medical
services meeting and were apparently at “the right place and
the right time,” Riley said.
Riley and her two colleagues jumped out of the squad car and ran
toward the burning building. But they had to first fend off
Osollo’s guards ““ a ferocious pit bull and a rottweiler
““ before entering the fiery room.
They managed to find their way to Osollo through the
smoke-filled cluttered room, spotting the Vietnam War veteran lying
barely conscious on a bed beside his wheelchair.
“The paint on the wall between the storage room and his
bed was actually bubbling,” Riley said.
But even three adults had difficulty lifting Osollo, triggering
Riley to come up with a fast and clever plan.
Riley quickly cleared out the area ““ moving a sofa, chest
and drawer ““ to create a path, and all three used a throw rug
to drag the victim to safety.
Osollo and Riley were the only two who suffered from some smoke
inhalation. Osollo, who suffered from four strokes, leaving him
paralyzed, was quickly taken to Santa Marta hospital after being
rescued.
Riley also received commendations from the L.A. County Board of
Supervisors and the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department last
year.
Before joining UCLA, Riley ran her own consulting company, which
provides continuing education to police and fire departments.
“I love what I do; It’s the best job in the
world,” Riley said.
As continuing education in fire and police departments became a
growing trend, Riley helped create the California State Fire
Service Nursing Association ““ the state’s first
association for nurses working in fire departments.