| Name: | Thomas Gaertner |
| Gender: | Male |
| Agency: | Broadview Fire Department |
| Type of Firefighter: | |
| Rank: | Captain |
| Type of Duty: | Firefighting operations, Search and rescue operations |
| Type of Award: | Medal of Valor |
| Year of Award: | 2002 |
| Incident City: | Broadview |
| Year of Incident: | 2001 |
| Incident Location Type: | Residential |
| Incident Attribute: | Fires |
Captain Thomas Gaertner of the Broadview Fire Department was awarded the Medal of Valor for his actions to rescue two elderly victims from a house fire in Broadview, Illinois on February 18, 2001.
At 6:27 in the morning, firefighters responded to a fire at 2300 23rd Ave. Captain Gaertner was informed that an elderly male and an elderly female were trapped inside the residence. Though hoses had yet to be deployed, Gaertner entered the home, crawling through the smoke. He found both victims lying unconscious on the floor. Gaertner removed the female victim through the front door, and then returned to carry the male victim out. Emergency medical staff were on hand to treat the victims.
Citation:
“Illinois Honors Her Own,” The Gong, July-September, 2002.