Public Safety Commission, DPS Honor Employees

AUSTIN – The Texas Public Safety Commission (PSC) and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Steven McCraw presented one Purple Heart and three Lifesaving Awards to employees for their admirable service and courageous actions.

“Every day our commissioned personnel put their lives on the line to protect and serve the residents of this state, and their vigilance undoubtedly makes Texas a better place to live,” said Director McCraw. “On behalf of DPS and the entire state, I want to thank you for your commitment to helping others. These awards are a token of our tremendous appreciation for all that you do to safeguard our communities from a wide variety of public safety threats.”

The following awards were presented today:

Trooper Kimberly Ousman, Texas Highway Patrol in Orange, received a Purple Heart. On July 23, 2014, Ousman was conducting a crash investigation on Interstate 10 in Orange County, when a separate vehicle struck Ousman’s patrol vehicle from behind. The force of the impact pushed her patrol car into the previously crashed vehicle, which then struck Ousman, who suffered multiple injuries.

Sgt. Brad Gibson, Texas Highway Patrol Commercial Vehicle Enforcement in Austin, received a Lifesaving Award. While off duty on July 12, 2016, Gibson noticed a vehicle stopped in the roadway near the intersection of SH 130 and Parmer Lane in Travis County. He observed the vehicle’s passenger trying to move the driver, who was unresponsive. Gibson assisted the passenger in moving the driver away from traffic and ultimately began administering chest compressions in an attempt to revive the driver. The driver eventually began to breathe on his own and was transported to a hospital for treatment.

Trooper Robert Bowden, Texas Highway Patrol in Childress, and Trooper Matthew Ferguson, Texas Highway Patrol in Shamrock, each received a Lifesaving Award. On July 2, 2016, Bowden and Ferguson where the first units to arrive at a truck-tractor rollover crash in Childress County. When Ferguson made contact with the passenger, he observed that the man had severe lacerations to his right arm and asked Bowden to retrieve a tourniquet. Bowden then applied the tourniquet to the passenger’s arm to slow the bleeding. Ferguson later applied a second tourniquet on the passenger’s arm when the bleeding continued. EMS ultimately arrived and provided additional medical treatment.