RTA honors heroic team member that saved a family from a burning home

When Stawinski woke up Monday morning and saw his neighbor's home on fire, he quickly went over, kicked in the door, woke up the 6 sleeping people inside, and helped them escape the blaze. Some of the victims were treated with smoke inhalation and burns. The house was burned to the ground before the fire could be put out.

Rural Telecommunications of America, Inc. (RTA) would like to commend the heroic efforts of their team member, Dakota Stawinski’s, actions on Jan. 3rd when an electrical fire began in the Breezeway trailer park. This fire left 4 Cisco residents devastated and without a home but alive thanks to Stawinski’s quick action. 

Donald Workman, RTA Co-Founder, and COO said "When I was informed of Dakota’s selfless act to run into a burning home, my first thoughts were this is a true HERO. We never know when we may be called upon to perform such heroic acts, but when we do and rise to the calling, it is truly a blessing. In this case, Dakota’s selfless and immediate response to rush into his neighbor's burning home saved lives…from all of us at RTA we are truly proud and thank you Dakota for your heroic actions."

Victims Richard Cornish, Josalynn Castle, Kaylea Shelton, & Tyree Hoyle who lost everything, including their pets in this fire are accepting donations through GoFundMe. Contribute to helping this family find another home at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-a-family-recover-from-tragic-losses. Any donations, including, clothes, furniture, appliances, and more, will also be greatly appreciated.

About Rural Telecommunications of America, Inc. (RTA)

RTA’s gigFAST NETWORK™ provides affordable internet connectivity to rural America; enabling rural internet providers, businesses and residents gigFAST INTERNET™ for their entertainment, e-learning, telemedicine and telework.  Visit us at https://rtatel.com