Westmont, Illinois
Date Issued: February 14, 2019
At the February 14, 2019 Village Board meeting, Westmont Fire Chief Dave Weiss presented the most prestigious award a firefighter can receive. Lieutenant Brendan Sullivan was awarded the Medal of Valor, which is the highest national award for valor by a public safety officer honoring heroic action performed above and beyond the call of duty.
Sullivan received this award for the actions he took responding to a fire at 7 W. Quincy Street in Westmont. While enroute to the fire, Sullivan was informed there might still be people in the building on the second floor. Sullivan was the first firefighter in the building ahead of the initial hose line. Sullivan encountered heavy smoke while performing his search. He then found a resident lying on the floor with signs of smoke inhalation and unable to rescue himself. Sullivan was able to carry the resident down the stairs to safety and then turned the person’s care over to paramedics.
“I may have been the one who rescued the man from the building that day,” said Sullivan, “but it was really a team effort. Westmont has a great fire department, and a lot of great firefighters. Any one of them would have done the same thing. I just happened to reach the victim first.”
Congratulations Lieutenant Sullivan on receiving this prestigious award. The Village of Westmont thanks you for your service.
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Contact: Larry McIntyre
Village of Westmont
Communications Director/Public Information Officer
630-417-0280
lmcintyre@westmont.il.gov
