The Red Cross of Southern Nevada will honor a dozen everyday heroes on Friday. Among them is a retired Clark County Firefighter who quickly found himself back on the job once again.
Fernandez Leary is now a real estate loan officer, but on 1 October it was his former career that made all the difference.
"The shooting started and I couldn't believe what was happening," Leary said. "No one could. You couldn't have told anyone that this could happen at an event like this."
For 22 years Leary was a Clark County Firefighter and on that night not only was he no longer a spectator, he was no longer just a guy in real estate.
"Thankfully my training helped and prepared me for this," he said. "And I was able to for all intents and purposes keep my calm and help organize others."
A paramedic he worked with recognized him and he was given equipment to help triage victims. A move that led to him being honored by the Red Cross as an Everyday Hero.
"Some of the biggest heroes that I saw, people that impressed me the most were folks that had no training whatsoever, " said Leary. "Those are the heroes because they had no training. That will stay with me forever. That was one of the most impressive things that I saw."
