Employee's quick thinking, courage helps save lives, Joplin Love's

On March 19, Love's Operations Manager Jessica Wright saw a burning RV barreling toward the fuel pumps at Love's 282 in Joplin, Missouri. Without hesitation, she sprung to action, grabbed a fire extinguisher and disappeared through the front doors toward the blaze.

Wright, now the general manager at Love's 692 in Chanute, Kansas, was quick to act and put safety first. She directed team members to hit the emergency fuel shut off and instructed about 35 to 50 Customers to evacuate the area. With the help of bystanders, Wright safely rescued three elderly passengers from the burning vehicle and helped contain the fire until the fire department arrived. At one point, she even jumped over the Hardee's counter to retrieve a fire extinguisher.

"It was a scary situation," Wright said. "My main goal was to make sure everyone was safe and clear of the fire."

After rescuing the passengers, Wright made sure they were comfortable and taken care of. She noticed two of them didn't have shoes and proceeded to provide shoes and coffee to the shaken-up passengers, who were on the way home from vacation. She also helped them contact relatives and waited with them for more than an hour until their grateful family arrived to take them home. Even after the fire department left and the passengers departed, Wright went above and beyond to help clean up broken glass and debris from the fire.

While Love's would never ask an employee to enter a burning vehicle, we appreciate her bravery and heroic act, which potentially saved lives. Despite being in a difficult situation, Wright and her team continued to uphold and demonstrate Love's core values.

"My employees did a great job," she said. "They pitched in and helped where they were needed. I wouldn't have been able to do it without them."

To recognize Wright's valiant efforts and excellent leadership, Love's safety department sent a letter of thanks and awarded her with the Love's Safety Star Award for her outstanding volunteer efforts in safety. We applaud Wright for her courage and the Love's 282 team for their commitment to safety and for being great people who care.