When a small plane was intentionally crashed into an Austin, Texas, building that housed Internal Revenue Service offices, Robin De Haven was on the scene and rushed to aid people stranded in the raging inferno. For his bravery, 28-year-old De Haven has been named an ‘ExtenZe Local Hero’ and will be the ExtenZe Racing Honorary Crew Chief at the upcoming Texas Motor Speedway NASCAR Sprint Cup weekend. It was Feb. 18 and De Haven, a window-glass repairman, was on his way to a job site when he saw a plane flying uncomfortably low. The plane soon disappeared and thick, black smoke began to rise and fill the sky. Unsure of what happened, De Haven opted to drive over and investigate.
When he arrived on scene, De Haven was met with smoke, flames and chaos. He pulled into a parking lot, spoke with a 911 operator, and learned from bystanders that people were trapped on the building’s second floor and yelling for help. He grabbed a 20-ft. long ladder from his truck and headed for the fiery, twisted mess. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, De Haven hastily placed the long ladder against the building and managed his way up unsteady rails.
Upon reaching the second story, De Haven pushed by a shattered window and entered the building. There he found six people trapped with no exit due to a smoke-filled hallway. After calming their nerves, he realized the precarious ladder he came up wouldn’t do the trick for getting everyone to safety. The stranded group then broke through another window and De Haven climbed out on a skinny ledge. He hollered to people on the ground and had them move his ladder to a fastened position and instructed them to lean it to the ledge. De Haven then helped all six people shimmy to the ground and was the last person down the ladder to safety.
The ‘ExtenZe Local Hero’ program pays tribute to people who have gone to great lengths to make a difference. Those selected have faced danger, sacrificed their own safety for others or in some way displayed leadership that changed their community for the better. Award recipients become ExtenZe Racing Honorary Crew Chiefs, receive a tour of the paddock, attend the pre-race NASCAR Driver/Crew Chief meeting, and sit atop the pit box with Crew Chief Peter Sospenzo to root on rookie driver Kevin Conway piloting the royal blue and red #38 ExtenZe Ford Fusion. Each recipient also receives a $1,000 award from ExtenZe in recognition of their selflessness. Fans can visit www.ExtenZeRacing.com to nominate their own local heroes or review who has been previously chosen. Also check in on blog/twitter feeds for the latest information on ExtenZe Racing and Kevin Conway.(ExtenZe Racing)(4-17-2010)
