| Name: | James Lee |
| Gender: | Male |
| Agency: | Northbrook Fire Department |
| Type of Firefighter: | |
| Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Type of Duty: | Firefighting operations, Search and rescue operations |
| Type of Award: | Medal of Valor |
| Year of Award: | 2003 |
| Incident City: | Northbrook |
| Year of Incident: | 2002 |
| Incident Location Type: | Residential |
| Incident Attribute: | Fires |
Lieutenant Jim Lee and Firefighter Stacy Kundinger of Truck 12 of the Northbrook Fire Department received the Medal of Valor for their actions while fighting a residential fire in Northbrook, Illinois on June 13, 2002.
Northbrook Truck 12 and Ambulance 12, with Lee in command, responded to the fire at 7:57PM, and the unit arrived to find a residence with smoke coming from the chimney and darkened windows that were warm to the touch. Lee ordered Ambulance 12 to start taking out windows and Truck 12 to advance a hose line to the front door and force entry. Operating on a report that there was a woman was in the house, Lee and Kundinger entered the residence to conduct a primary search.
The front room of the residence was filled with heavy smoke as Lee and Kundinger entered. Once they proceeded to bedrooms, visibility was zero. They heard the victim moaning and followed her sounds. She was found lying on the floor. Lee and Kundinger were able to carry her out of the fiery, smoky residence to the front yard where she was treated for smoke inhalation. After the rescue, Lieutenant Lee re-entered the home, under much improved conditions, and was able to rescue the family dog.
Citation:
“Illinois Honors Her Bravest.” The Gong, July-September, 2003.