| Name: | Brian Corley |
| Gender: | Male |
| Agency: | Chicago Fire Department |
| Type of Firefighter: | Career |
| Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Type of Duty: | Firefighting operations, SCBA 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 Brian Corley of the Chicago Fire Department’s Engine 62 Truck 27 was awarded the Medal of Honor for his efforts to rescue a child from a residential fire in Chicago, Illinois on December 28, 2008.
A fire broke out in a two-and-a-half story residence on 112th St. west of Wentworth. Firefighters on the scene were alerted that an eight-year-old boy was trapped in the basement. Lieutenant Corley donned his SCBA and went into the smoke-filled basement. The visibility was so poor that he also needed to use thermal imagining equipment. With the aid of the high-tech tool, Corley was able to find the boy, who was hiding under a table and, fortunately, still breathing. After finding the boy, Corley noticed that his exit was blocked. Thinking quickly, he knocked out a window and handed the boy over to the Chief on duty.
Citation:
16th Annual Illinois Fallen Firefighter Memorial and Firefighter Medal of Honor Awards Ceremony, May 14, 2009 (video).