| Name: | Robert Strasen |
| Gender: | Male |
| Agency: | South Roxana Fire Protection District |
| Type of Firefighter: | |
| Rank: | Firefighter |
| Type of Duty: | Firefighting operations, Search and rescue operations, Vehicle rescue |
| Type of Award: | Medal of Valor |
| Year of Award: | 2003 |
| Incident City: | South Roxana |
| Year of Incident: | 2002 |
| Incident Location Type: | Street/Road |
| Incident Attribute: | Fires, Traffic accidents |
Firefighter Robert Strasen of the South Roxana Fire Department received the Medal of Valor for his actions to rescue a woman from an automobile accident in South Roxana, Illinois on August 18, 2002.
Strasen and two of his fellow firefighters from the South Roxana Fire Department were off-duty, building a garage at Strasen’s house when they heard an auto accident nearby. When they arrived on the scene, they found two cars had crashed into each other. One of the automobiles was on fire. Firefighter Strasen got his fire extinguisher out of his truck and passed it to Firefighter Larry Aiken to extinguish the flames as he entered the fiery wreck to rescue a female who was trapped inside. Strasen stabilized her spine, sacrificing his own safety, as they waited for crews to arrive on the scene.
Citation:
“Illinois Honors Her Bravest.” The Gong, July-September, 2003.