Firefighter MICHAEL SMITH, Jr. of the Richmond (VA) Department of Fire and Emergency Services received the Commonwealth Public Safety Meritorious Service Medal from Governor Timothy M. Kaine for his heroic actions on July 27, 2006. On that date, Smith, off-duty in Richmond’s Creighton Court neighborhood, heard a mother’s cry for help and immediately ran to a nearby apartment that was on fire. Smith, braving the heat and smoke, made several attempts to rescue a child trapped on the second floor. He finally succeeded by breaking a bedroom window with his bare hands, receiving severe lacerations that were nearly career-ending. www.vpsf.us.
Names in the News
Must View
Fire in Off-the-Books e-Bike Battery Repair Shop in Queens (NY) Injures Firefighter, 3 Residents
An off-the-books e-bike battery repair shop in the basement of a Queens home sparked a massive Friday morning blaze that left a firefighter and three building residents hospitalized, FDNY officials said.
Large Fire Rips Through Baldwinsville (NY) Apartment Buildings, Roof Collapses
Firefighters are battling a large fire Friday night in a Baldwinsville apartment complex that’s caused the roof to collapse on at least one building.
