| Name: | Steve Ausmann |
| Gender: | Male |
| Agency: | Oak Park 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: | 2002 |
| Incident City: | Oak Park |
| Year of Incident: | 2001 |
| Incident Location Type: | Residential |
| Incident Attribute: | Fires |
Firefighters Steve Ausmann, Charles Moss, and Ryan Marinier of the Oak Park Fire Department were awarded the Medal of Valor for their actions to save an elderly man from a residential fire in Oak Park, Ilinois, on May 14, 2001.
A resident noticed flames spilling out of the second-story window of a residence at 242 South Kenilworth Avenue in Oak Park. It was also reported that an older man was still inside the home. Police initially arrived at the scene with Battalion Chief George Lazewski of the Oak Park Fire Department. They entered the residence and ascended to the second floor but quickly judged the fire to be too hot to take on without protective gear. Then they called on Ausmann, Moss, and Marinier. The men donned their masks and protective gear and split up to search the second floor where the resident was located. Ausmann found the victim unconscious on the floor of the second-story bathroom. Because the hallway was constrained to only 30 inches wide and filled with thick smoke and intense heat, Ausmann had to drag the victim by himself along the ground to get him out of the burning home. Once outside, the firefighters began life support procedures on the victim that allowed the man to begin breathing again before transport to the hospital.
Citations:Firefighters earn state Medal of Valor,
Oak Leaves, May 29, 2002.
“Illinois Honors Her Own,” The Gong, July-September, 2002.
Medal of Valor presented to three Oak Park firefighters,
Welcome to the Official Village of Oak Park Web Site, June, 2002.
Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Oak Park Held on Monday, July 16, 2001 at 7:30 P.M. in the Council Chambers of the Village Hall, July 16, 2001.