| Name: | Richard Bocek |
| Gender: | Male |
| Agency: | Westmont Fire Department |
| Type of Firefighter: | |
| Rank: | Captain |
| Type of Duty: | Firefighting operations, Search and rescue operations |
| Type of Award: | Medal of Valor |
| Year of Award: | 2005 |
| Incident City: | Westmont |
| Year of Incident: | 2004 |
| Incident Location Type: | Residential |
| Incident Attribute: | Fires |
Firefighter Joseph Newton and Captain Richard Bocek of the Westmont Fire Department received the Medal of Valor for their actions to save a woman from a burning building in Westmont, Illinois on November 2, 2004.
Newton and Bocek responded to a house fire as the first-in engine company. While performing an interior search, Newton heard what sounded like a person coughing. He quickly called for the assistance of Bocek and both began to search for the victim. Newton located the semi-conscious victim in a nearby hallway and the firefighters carried her to safety.
Citation:
“Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal,” The Gong, July-September, 2005.