| Name: | David Wallace |
| Gender: | Male |
| Agency: | Litchfield Fire Department |
| Type of Firefighter: | |
| Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Type of Duty: | Firefighting operations, Search and rescue operations |
| Type of Award: | Medal of Honor |
| Year of Award: | 2005 |
| Incident City: | Litchfield |
| Year of Incident: | 2004 |
| Incident Location Type: | Residential |
| Incident Attribute: | Fires |
Lieutenant David Wallace of the Litchfield Fire Department was awarded the Medal of Honor for his efforts to rescue a victim from a mobile home fire in Lincolnwood, Illinois on June 7, 2004.
Lieutenant Wallace was off-duty when he received a dispatch about a fire at a mobile home just a few blocks from his residence. The dispatcher also noted that there were two victims trapped inside. Wallace immediately leapt into action and was the first responder on the scene. He quickly assessed the situation, noting heavy smoke billowing out of the home’s back porch. With little time to waste, he entered the residence through the rear porch, believing it to provide the only opportunity for a rescue.
Inside the home, he found an unconscious man lying on the floor. Completely disregarding his own safety, he crawled about ten feet inside the burning residence to the victim and dragged him outside. At that moment, members of the Litchfield Fire Department arrived on the scene and provided the victim with medical assistance.
Citations:
“Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal,” The Gong, July-September, 2005.
“Recognition of Lieutenant David Wallace,” Congressional Record, Volume 151, Part 6, April 21, 2005 to May 5, 2005 Part 16.