If it wasn't for the life saving efforts of dispatchers, police, firefighters and medics, Dan Stoffels of Eagan believes he wouldn't be here today.

It was dawn Saturday, April 8, when Stoffels, 22, was involved in a head on collision with another vehicle on County Road 42 near Biscayne Avenue in Rosemount.

Stoffels was thrown from his jeep, run over by the other vehicle and landed 10 feet away from his own vehicle, which was on fire.

The public safety personnel, he said, "made the difference between me living and me dying."

Rosemount Police officers Bryan Burkhalter and Bryan Weatherford were the first to arrive.

"On arrival you could see the flames from the jeep," Burkhalter said.

After finding that Stoffels had a pulse, Burkhalter made the call to send a LifeLink helicopter to transport him to Regions Hospital.

Using Burkhalter's squad car, Weatherford pushed Stoffels' flaming vehicle to a safe distance from the victims. Minutes later, Rosemount firefighters arrived and extinguished the fire.

Once the ambulance arrived, paramedics administered Rapid Sequence Intubation (RSI) to keep Stoffels breathing. Fifteen minutes later, he was in a LifeLink helicopter, being airlifted to Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

"Everything went as well as could be expected," Burkhalter said. "We were doing our job."

Stoffels suffered a broken right leg, fractured his tibia and fibula, lost 4 inches of bone in his leg, fractured several lower back lumbar vertebrae, broke his right arm, his pelvis and had internal bleeding.

"If they would have taken me in the ambulance, I think, with my blood loss and internal bleeding, that they wouldn't have made it to the hospital fast enough," Stoffels said.

Stoffels was in the hospital for three weeks and does not remember the events surrounding the accident.

"I thank God everyday," he said. "I'm just so thankful for all those people who helped me."

The Rosemount City Council also expressed their appreciation for the efficient rescue response, honoring the public safety staff in an Emergency Medical Services Week recognition May 16.

During the council meeting, special thanks was given to Burkhalter and Weatherford, Eagan dispatchers Katie Hoffman and Chris Meade, Rosemount firefighters Leigh Anderson, Tim Buyck, Chris Dyson, Jay Ford, Joe Gerrits, Chad Canfield, Scott Helgeson, Ed Kropelnicki, Kevin Larson, Brad Miller, Shawn Nejman, Kevin Rambo, Rick Schroeder, Glenn Snyder, Bishop Svendahl, Bruce Sword, Nathan Roso, Kevin Tucker, Greg Zeno and Chief Scott Aker, as well as to the paramedics and LifeLink helicopter team.

Since the accident, Stoffels has undergone five surgeries, including skin and muscle grafting. Currently in a wheelchair, Stoffels is awaiting another surgery to reconstruct his lower right leg.

"It's pretty unbelievable what these doctors have done to me, too," he said. "I was just blessed. Now I'm living today."

He is expected to be walking later this summer.

Living one day at a time, working on his recovery, Stoffels said he is inspired to be a better person and make something out of his future.

Once he is able to move more easily, Stoffels plans to visit his rescuers to personally thank them.

"They were just doing their jobs, but I'd say they're heroes," he said. "I have them to thank for my life."

Stoffels was in the hospital for three weeks and does not remember the events surrounding the accident.

"I thank God everyday," he said. "I'm just so thankful for all those people who helped me."

The Rosemount City Council also expressed their appreciation for the efficient rescue response, honoring the public safety staff in an Emergency Medical Services Week recognition May 16.

During the council meeting, special thanks was given to Burkhalter and Weatherford, Eagan dispatchers Katie Hoffman and Chris Meade, Rosemount firefighters Leigh Anderson, Tim Buyck, Chris Dyson, Jay Ford, Joe Gerrits, Chad Canfield, Scott Helgeson, Ed Kropelnicki, Kevin Larson, Brad Miller, Shawn Nejman, Kevin Rambo, Rick Schroeder, Glenn Snyder, Bishop Svendahl, Bruce Sword, Nathan Roso, Kevin Tucker, Greg Zeno and Chief Scott Aker, as well as to the paramedics and LifeLink helicopter team.

Since the accident, Stoffels has undergone five surgeries, including skin and muscle grafting. Currently in a wheelchair, Stoffels is awaiting another surgery to reconstruct his lower right leg.

"It's pretty unbelievable what these doctors have done to me, too," he said. "I was just blessed. Now I'm living today."

He is expected to be walking later this summer.

Living one day at a time, working on his recovery, Stoffels said he is inspired to be a better person and make something out of his future.

Once he is able to move more easily, Stoffels plans to visit his rescuers to personally thank them.

"They were just doing their jobs, but I'd say they're heroes," he said. "I have them to thank for my life."