| Name: | Charles Kingsbury |
| Gender: | Male |
| Agency: | Mt. Carmel Fire Department |
| Type of Firefighter: | |
| Rank: | Firefighter |
| Type of Duty: | Firefighter rescue, Firefighting operations, SCBA operations, Search and rescue operations |
| Type of Award: | Medal of Valor |
| Year of Award: | 2010 |
| Incident City: | Mount Carmel |
| Year of Incident: | 2009 |
| Incident Location Type: | Commercial |
| Incident Attribute: | Fires |
Firefighter Charles Kingsbury of the Mt. Carmel Fire Department was awarded the Medal of Valor for his efforts to rescue a fellow firefighter from a commercial building fire in Mt. Carmel, Illinois on January 29, 2009.
A fire broke out in downtown Mt. Carmel on Market St. at C&C Kids Shop and Hadley’s Café around 10 P.M. Firefighters Kingbury and Tim Hutton entered the fully involved building to begin containing the fire. When they made it to the second floor, Firefighter Hutton began to run out of air, as his PASS device sounded. With their entrance blocked, Kingsbury acted quickly and shared his SCBA mask with Hutton. Knowing his was out of air, Kingsbury flung Hutton out of the fiery building so that he could be treated immediately. Kingsbury exited the building on his hands and knees. Both firefighters were subsequently treated for smoke inhalation.
Citations:
“‘I’m no hero … I just did my job’ – firefighter recognized for heroic act,” Daily Republicn Register, [2009].
17th Annual Illinois Fallen Firefighter Memorial and Firefighter Medal of Honor Awards Ceremony, May 13, 2010 (video).