| Name: | Nicholas Cairo |
| Gender: | Male |
| Agency: | Chicago Fire Department |
| Type of Firefighter: | Career |
| Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Type of Duty: | Firefighting operations, Search and rescue operations |
| Type of Award: | Medal of Honor |
| Year of Award: | 2009 |
| Incident City: | Chicago |
| Year of Incident: | 2008 |
| Incident Location Type: | Residential |
| Incident Attribute: | Fires |
Lieutenant Nicholas Cairo of the Chicago Fire Department was awarded the Medal of Honor for his efforts to rescue two children from an apartment fire in Chicago, Illinois on August 9, 2008.
At 3PM, the Chicago Fire Department received a dispatch about a fire in a three-story apartment building at 1622 S. Hamlin Ave. in the Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago. While attacking the fire, Lieutenant Cairo heard screams coming from a second-story bedroom. He entered the room and found two young girls, aged two and six, huddled in the corner, unconscious. He grabbed both girls and headed straight for the stairwell, and, despite the low visibility and intense heat, was able to remove them to safety.
Citation:
16th Annual Illinois Fallen Firefighter Memorial and Firefighter Medal of Honor Awards Ceremony, May 14, 2009 (video).