| Name: | Michael Vaughn |
| Gender: | Male |
| Agency: | Washington Fire Department |
| Type of Firefighter: | |
| Rank: | Chief |
| Type of Duty: | |
| Type of Award: | Medal of Valor |
| Year of Award: | 2014 |
| Incident City: | Washington |
| Year of Incident: | 2013 |
| Incident Location Type: | |
| Incident Attribute: |
Washington Fire Department Chief Michael Vaughn was awarded the Medal of Valor for his actions during a tornado in Washington on November 17, 2013.
In the morning on that Sunday, a large tornado outbreak struck Central Illinois. An EF-4 tornado touched down in Washington. Vaughn did not take shelter, instead choosing to drive to the local churches to warn worshippers of the deadly weather. The tornado was moving at 80 mph, and Vaughn was racing against it as high winds pushed his truck back and forth across the road. He called his wife to tell her what he was doing and warned her that he may not survive.
The tornado lasted for nine minutes and damaged hundreds of buildings, destroyed over a thousand homes, and resulted in three deaths. Vaughn survived, and he and other firefighters worked to help residents following the passing storm.
Citations:
Devan Masciulli, “Remembering the Washington tornado eight years later,” 25 News, November 17, 2021.
Tobias Wall, “Washington Fire Chief Mike Vaughn Awarded Firefighter’s Medal of Valor,” Journal Star, May 6, 2014.