The Honorable Mayor Thomas C. Henry and Fort Wayne Fire Department (FWFD) Chief Peter X. Kelly honored firefighters and other local heroes Monday night, March 23, during the FWFD Service Awards at the Auditorium of the Public Safety Academy.  FWFD presented awards to nine firefighters for exceptional service on-duty; one Fort Wayne Police Department (FWPD) Officer; and four citizens. 

All of the firefighters were recognized for saving a life at a house fire April 27, 2008, on Bowser Avenue.  Firefighters honored with Meritorious Service Awards at the ceremony include:  Captain Jeffery Berning, Firefighter Heath Bearman and Firefighter Michelle Nelson.  Firefighters receiving an Individual Commendation Award include:  Captain Matthew Peckham, Lieutenant Rich Dolsen Jr., Firefighters Tyler Bruce, Andrew Nieberding, Jon Plant and John Sierra.

Officer Keith Wallace, FWPD, received a Citizen Action Meritorious Valor Award, for performing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and assisting the medics at the April 27 Bowser Street Fire.  Ben Franke was presented a Citizen Action Meritorious Award for helping his neighbors escape a fire in their home on Rolston Avenue, March 11, 2008.  Dr. Charles Coats was honored with a Citizen Action Meritorious Award for performing CPR and using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) in saving a person's live at the Fort Wayne International Airport Terminal, March 31, 2008.  Monique Myles received a Citizen Action Meritorious Award for performing CPR on a child who had been pulled unconscious from an apartment complex swimming pool, April 27, 2008, and saving the child's life.

The City of Fort Wayne thanked all of these individuals for choosing to put others first.