GARFIELD COUNTY, Colorado — The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office says Deputy Alex Silverman is being recognized with a Lifesaving Award after a crash response where fast tourniquet work helped save a badly injured woman.

According to the county’s June 24 news release, Silverman was dispatched to the crash, responded through heavy traffic and arrived as the first emergency responder on scene. The sheriff’s office said he found a woman with catastrophic injuries to both legs and massive blood loss.

Three tourniquets before EMS arrived

Recognizing that the bleeding was immediately life-threatening, Silverman applied three tourniquets to control the hemorrhaging before emergency medical personnel reached the scene, the release said.

The sheriff’s office quoted Carly deBeque, trauma program manager at Valley View Hospital, as crediting Silverman’s rapid actions as a critical factor in the patient’s survival. “Blood loss is one of the leading causes of preventable death following traumatic injury,” deBeque said in the county release.

Fire officials praised the deputy’s calm response

Lt. Rohe with the Glenwood Springs Fire Department also praised the response, saying Silverman’s ability to recognize a life-threatening condition, act immediately and perform under pressure reflected “outstanding professionalism and dedication to the safety and well-being of the community,” according to the sheriff’s office.

Witnesses noted not only Silverman’s decisive actions, but also the calm and compassionate way he stayed with the woman until Glenwood Springs Fire Department EMS personnel arrived and assumed care, the release said.

The sheriff’s office said emergency responders praised Silverman’s judgment, professionalism and willingness to act during a time-sensitive emergency. The patient survived and later expressed gratitude for the deputy’s actions.

A reminder that training can save a life in minutes

Garfield County thanked the Glenwood Springs Fire Department, Colorado State Patrol, Valley View Hospital, Garfield County Communications Authority and other responders involved in the incident.

For Support Law Enforcement readers, this is the kind of quiet lifesaving work that often happens before the headlines: one deputy first on scene, enough training to recognize a deadly bleed, and the composure to stay with a patient until the next level of care arrives.

Sources reviewed

Editorial note: ThinBlueNews used the official county release for factual anchors, did not identify the patient, did not speculate about the crash, and did not use staged crash/patient imagery. No paid promotion, DMs or outbound messages were used.