| Name: | James Barnett |
| Gender: | Male |
| Agency: | Stone Park Fire Department |
| Type of Firefighter: | |
| Rank: | Firefighter |
| Type of Duty: | Firefighting operations, Hose operations, Search and rescue operations |
| Type of Award: | Medal of Valor |
| Year of Award: | 1998 |
| Incident City: | Stone Park |
| Year of Incident: | 1998 |
| Incident Location Type: | Commercial |
| Incident Attribute: | Fires |
Firefighter James Barnett of the Stone Park Fire Department was awarded the Medal of Valor for his efforts to rescue three victims from a fatal motel fire in Stone Park, Illinois on January 11, 1998.
Firefighter Barnett and Truck Engineer Jason Rush were the only two firefighters at the Stone Park Fire Department when they were called to a fire at the Budget American Motel on Mannheim Road. The other firefighters on duty were attending to an ambulance call. Once on the scene, Rush hosed down the upstairs portion of the motel where the fire was rapidly spreading. Bystanders reported two people trapped. Barnett went upstairs and doused the flames which were preventing the two victims from being rescued. This tactic allowed the rescue team to reach both victims, the motel’s assistant manager and his mother. Subsequently, Barnett went back inside and found a five-year-old child who was unconscious at the top of the stairway.
Citation:
“Firefighter lauded for blaze effort,” Franklin Park Herald-Journal, June 17, 1998.