| Name: | Denise McCormick |
| Gender: | Female |
| Agency: | Chicago Fire Department |
| Type of Firefighter: | Career |
| Rank: | Paramedic/Emergency Medical Technician |
| Type of Duty: | Vehicle rescue |
| Type of Award: | Medal of Valor |
| Year of Award: | 2008 |
| Incident City: | Chicago |
| Year of Incident: | 2006 |
| Incident Location Type: | Street/Road |
| Incident Attribute: | Traffic accidents |
Paramedic Denise McCormick of the Chicago Fire Department was awarded the Medal of Valor for her efforts to rescue an injured paramedic from an ambulance accident in Chicago, Illinois on September 17, 2006.
On the afternoon of September 17th, Ambulance 5 was en route to Christ Hospital when it was struck by another vehicle. Ambulance 5 spun around and flipped onto the driver’s side. Paramedic McCormick was driving when the ambulance was hit. Though injured, she freed herself from the vehicle. A bystander assisted McCormick to free the ambulance’s occupants and remove them to a safe location. She then noticed that her partner, Charles Reeves, was having respiratory difficulties. She administered a bag valve mask to Reeves to sustain his breathing until backup arrived.
Citation:
“House Resolution 1282,” Illinois General Assembly, May 15, 2008.