| Name: | Matt Grosskopf |
| Gender: | Male |
| Agency: | Mt. Vernon Fire Department |
| Type of Firefighter: | |
| Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Type of Duty: | Firefighting operations, Search and rescue operations |
| Type of Award: | Medal of Valor |
| Year of Award: | 2004 |
| Incident City: | Mt. Vernon |
| Year of Incident: | 2003 |
| Incident Location Type: | Residential |
| Incident Attribute: | Fires |
Lieutenant Matt Grosskopf of the Mt. Vernon Fire Department was awarded the Medal of Valor for his efforts to rescue a male from a residential fire in Mt. Vernon, Illinois on December 26, 2003.
With firefighters at the scene of the house fire, they were informed that a man was trapped inside. Lieutenant Grosskopf, prior to the advancing of the hose line, entered the house alone, crawling on his stomach to search for the 60-year-old male victim. Despite high temperatures and no visibility, Grosskopf found the victim and escorted him out of harm’s way. It was later learned that the man used home oxygen and that there were 20 full tanks inside the residence at the time of the fire. Thanks to Grosskopf’s quick actions, significant injuries and damage were avoided.
Citations:
City of Mt. Vernon, Illinois Regular City Council Meeting, April 5, 2004.
“House Resolution HR0733,” Illinois General Assembly, March 25, 2004.
“Naperville native honored for rescue from burning home,” The Naperville Sun, June 11, 2004.