BUFFALO, N.Y. — When we think of the shooting at Tops on Jefferson Ave on May 14th, 2022, it can be hard to picture anything besides tragedy.
But amidst the heartbreak, there were heroes that day, too.
Operations supervisor at American Medical Response in Buffalo, Michael Arquette, is one of those heroes. While so many ran from the bloodshed, he ran towards it.
“It will be one of those things that I take with me the rest of my days,” Arquette said.
“I was at Buffalo General checking on some of the crews at the ER … I immediately started heading that way as the 911 calls started pouring in,” Arquette added.
This week, he will be honored in Washington, D.C. at the American Ambulance Association’s Stars of Life Awards Ceremony for his bravery in treating the dead and wounded that day. Alongside 31 other honorees, Arquette will receive the EMS industry’s highest honor.
He told 2 On Your Side that he arrived to the scene on the day of the shooting to find that it was still an active shooter situation before starting to attend to the victims. He confirmed the status of all 10 deceased.
“In these circumstances, it was beyond any of our control,” Arquette said. “We just kept pressing on until we could find anybody that we could help.”
His honor this week comes for actions he and many of his fellow honorees wished they never had to take. He said he’s met others who have ran into burning buildings or had been a part of helicopter crashes and cared for those on board with them.
He hopes the award sends a reminder to those back in Western New York.
“This, if nothing else, to remember we’re always out there, we’re always there to help. If you need, call for it,” Arquette said. “We’ll keep chipping away and do whatever it takes to get the job done and make sure everybody’s as safe as possible.”