| Name: | Michael Pacocha |
| Gender: | Male |
| Agency: | Highland Park Fire Department |
| Type of Firefighter: | Career |
| Rank: | Firefighter |
| Type of Duty: | Emergency medical care, Firefighting operations |
| Type of Award: | Medal of Valor |
| Year of Award: | 2023 |
| Incident City: | Highland Park |
| Year of Incident: | 2022 |
| Incident Location Type: | Commercial |
| Incident Attribute: |
On July 4, 2022, at 10:14 a.m. a gunman opened fire on the Independence Day parade participants and attendees in downtown Highland Park, IL. The attack took place just 15 minutes after the parade began, seven people were killed, and 48 others were wounded.
The Highland Park Fire and Police Department took quick, life-saving actions to treat victims and safely evacuate attendees. Firefighters who were in the parade, assigned to work during the parade, and off-duty all immediately arrived at the scene to begin helping those in need.
The Highland Park Fire Department has continued to assist the city and its residents in recovery and resiliency since the incident.
Highland Park Firefighter Michael Pacocha was awarded the Medal of Valor for his actions during the Highland Park parade shooting on July 4, 2022.
Firefighter Pacocha was riding on Boat 34 in the parade along with his family. After seeing police vehicles rush eastbound while the band members and parade attendees were running westbound, Firefighter Pacocha recognized that something was wrong. He joined Firefighter Tameling to staff the reserve ambulance and responded directly to the scene. Upon arrival, Firefighter Pacocha began providing care to a patient in critical condition and loaded the patient for EMS transport. He cared for the patient the entire drive to NorthShore Hospital before transferring care to the Emergency Room, grabbing more medical supplies, and returning to the scene. They were instructed to return to Station 33, where they accepted another patient who had been taken out of the hot zone and transported them to the Highland Park Hospital.
Citations:
Highland Park Fire Department
7th Person Dies Day After Highland Park Parade Mass Shooting.
NBC Chicago, www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/7th-person-dies-day-after-highland-park-parade-mass-shooting/2873971.