Off-duty paramedic honored for saving a life, humbled that he could not do more

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — He could not save the life of everyone trapped inside the burning van on April 24 of last year, but he was able to rescue one of them. Six people died in a rollover crash at the I-85/I-985 split in Gwinnett County. The death toll would have reached seven if it were not for off-duty American Medical Response Paramedic Captain Kyle Brule.

Brule was at the right place, at the right time.

“So I know it had just happened,” Brule said. “I saw the smoke coming up. She needed to be pulled out immediately. I did the best I could.”

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It was the best he could he saved a life. And his co-workers said it was nowhere near the first time he’s saved someone.

“We can’t talk enough about Kyle. He’s so modest,” said Battalion Chief Hoover Sirmans. “He doesn’t want a pat on the back, because he was just doing his job, per se. But he made a difference.”

Brule has been honored for that rescue, one that has garnered him recognition on both the state and national levels for first responders.

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Brule was named Georgia’s “Paramedic of the Year” for 2021. He was more recently honored with the “Stars of Life” award. That award is to nationally recognize the best of the best.

As horrible as the death of six people in a crash is, it could have been much worse had it not been for the off-duty paramedic.

“If I can put myself in someone’s shoes and be like, they want to get out,” Brule said. “So treat others the way you want to be treated.”

With all of the chaos of that day, Brule said he never found out the name of the woman he saved. He’s just happy that he was able to be there for her.

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