Friends and family say 30-year KCFD veteran Charley Cashen is as humble as they come, never wanting to take credit for his job. However, when his job includes saving several lives, eventually, credit will find him.
As of April 1, Cashen is officially in the running for a national firefighter award for heroism. And no, it’s not an April Fool’s joke, Joyce and Ron Behnken can attest.
"Due to the timeliness of Charley and his crew I literally owe my life to,” said Kansas City resident Ron Behnken.
Behnken sat in his recliner following yard work on Sept. 3 when his heart stopped beating. His wife, Joyce Behnken, called 911 right away. She said Cashen was part of the firefighter crew that arrived minutes later, saving her husband’s life in the process.
"The second time they put the paddle on him, Charley and one of the other ones said, 'We got a pulse!’ said Joyce Behnken.
It was just in January of 2015 when Cashen nearly died himself, trying to save someone from a burning basement. It was just one more reason the Behnkens hope their new friend wins the award.
"We basically said, 'You saved his life. Ya know, you saved his life.’ And of course what do they say? ‘That's what we do,’" said Joyce Behnken.
-----
Josh Helmuth can be reached at josh.helmuth@kshb.com.
