| Name: | Shannon Jones |
| Gender: | Male |
| Agency: | Ashton Fire Department |
| Type of Firefighter: | Volunteer |
| Rank: | Firefighter |
| Type of Duty: | Firefighter rescue, Firefighting operations, Hose operations, Search and rescue operations |
| Type of Award: | Medal of Valor |
| Year of Award: | 2002 |
| Incident City: | Ashton |
| Year of Incident: | 2001 |
| Incident Location Type: | Residential |
| Incident Attribute: | Fires |
Firefighter Shannon Jones of the Ashton Fire Protection District was awarded the Medal of Valor for his actions during a residential fire that took the lives of two firefighters in Ashton, Illinois on February 17, 2001.
Engines 1 and 7 of the Ashton Fire Protection District arrived at a house fire at eight in the morning. Firefighters thoroughly searched the house and extinguished pockets of flames before determining that the source of the fire was in the basement. While trying to control the fire, the basement flashed over. The Captain on duty told all his firefighters to evacuate. He subsequently learned that Lieutenant Clint Talley and Firefighter Michael McKean were trapped in the basement inferno. Firefighter Jones took a backup hose and remained in the basement for several minutes after the flashover. In the process, he saved the lives of several other firefighters who were also in the basement. Jones emerged from the basement with burns on his face and a smoldering uniform. Unfortunately, Lieutenant Talley and Firefighter McKean died in the blaze.
Citations:
“Illinois Honors Her Own,” The Gong, July-September, 2002.
“Two volunteer fire fighters die fighting a basement fire – Illinois,” NIOSH, July 31, 2002.