Firefighters, police officers and dispatchers were honored this week for their efforts in the rescue of two residents, one of which was critically injured, from a house fire in Zion in March.
Zion Mayor Billy McKinney honored the first responders during Tuesday evening’s city council meeting.
Four Gurnee Police Department dispatchers, which dispatch 911 calls for Zion, were present to receive resolutions of commendation from the mayor.
The Gurnee Police Department said the dispatchers remained “calm under pressure and effectively dispatched services” to help the homeowners trapped inside the burning house.
The fire happened on March 25 in the 2300 block of Gideon Avenue in Zion.
The Zion Fire and Rescue Department and Zion Police Department were called to the scene for a report of a structure fire.
Zion Fire and Rescue Department Battalion Chief Eric Troy said at the time that a 911 caller reported multiple people trapped in the basement of a home.
Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke from the rear of the house.
“The reports of numerous people trapped elevate the concern of fire personnel. Our number one goal is life safety,” Troy said.
The alarm was quickly upgraded to a Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) box alarm for additional assistance.
Zion police officers rescued a woman out of a basement window. She was suffering from smoke inhalation.
Firefighters rescued a man who was in critical condition. The two victims were both transported to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan.
Primary and secondary searches revealed there was not a third occupant home at the time of the fire as initially believed, Troy said.
Fire crews attacked the fire with multiple hose lines in the basement of the home.
Fire damage was limited to the basement but heat and smoke damage occurred throughout the structure.
Troy said the female victim suffered minor injuries in the fire while the male victim suffered critical injuries. A dog was transported to a veterinarian.
The man and woman rescued from the house fire attended the Tuesday city council meeting.