| Name: | James Acra |
| Gender: | Male |
| Agency: | Edwardsville Fire Department |
| Type of Firefighter: | |
| Rank: | Firefighter |
| Type of Duty: | Firefighting operations, Search and rescue operations |
| Type of Award: | Medal of Valor |
| Year of Award: | 2003 |
| Incident City: | Edwardsville |
| Year of Incident: | 2002 |
| Incident Location Type: | Residential |
| Incident Attribute: | Fires |
Captain Richard Dustman of the Edwardsville Fire Department received the Medal of Honor for his actions while fighting a university apartment complex fire near Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Illinois on October 12, 2002. Firefighters James Acra, James Brooks, and Robert Morgan, Jr., also of the Edwardsville Fire Department, received the Medal of Valor for their efforts at the same fire.
Captain Dustman arrived at the fire at 428 Cougar Village in Edwardsville, Illinois before the fire trucks. After hearing some tenants crying for help, Dustman used a nearby picnic table to ascend to the roof of the building. In doing so, he had to drop his self-contained breathing apparatus to make the climb. He was able to save many stranded students, including a victim who was unconscious, because of his actions. Additionally, Dustman escaped injury when a portion of the roof collapsed near him. Once the fire truck arrived, firefighters Acra, Brooks, and Morgan—along with Dustman—assisted in rescuing tenants from the burning building.
While rescuing the tenants of the apartment, the firefighters discovered that Southern Illinois University Edwardsville student Mike McGehee was trapped in one of the buildings. McGehee had been banging on doors within the apartment complex to awake the sleeping students when he was overcome by smoke. Firefighters Acra, Brooks, and Morgan entered the apartment to look for McGehee while Captain Dustman stayed at the entrance to the apartment to aid in the egress of the firefighters. Morgan located McGehee and was leading him to an exit when his self-contained breathing apparatus malfunctioned and he was forced to look for an emergency way out. Firefighters Brooks and Acra were able to locate Morgan and McGehee and help them out of the building.
Captain Dustman suffered from smoke inhalation and was treated on site while McGehee was hospitalized for smoke inhalation. Firefighter Acra was treated for an injury to his hand.
Citations:City Salutes Firefighters,
Edwardsville Intelligencer, February 6, 2003.
Courageous Firefighter to be Honored,
Belleville News-Democrat, May 8, 2003.
Four Firefighters Honored,
Edwardsville Intelligencer, May 21, 2003.
Illinois Honors Her Bravest.
The Gong, July-September, 2003.
University Recognizes Lifesavers,
Edwardsville Intelligencer, October 24, 2002.