| Name: | Chris Gottschalk |
| Gender: | Male |
| Agency: | Highland Park Fire Department |
| Type of Firefighter: | |
| Rank: | Firefighter |
| Type of Duty: | Firefighting operations, Search and rescue operations |
| Type of Award: | Medal of Valor |
| Year of Award: | 2014 |
| Incident City: | Highland Park |
| Year of Incident: | 2013 |
| Incident Location Type: | Residential |
| Incident Attribute: | Fires |
Highland Park Fire Department Firefighter Chris Gottschalk was awarded the Medal of Valor for his actions during a residential fire on December 21, 2013.
Gottschalk was among the first to arrive at the basement fire of a two-story house in the early morning. Police alerted the firefighters that a man was likely trapped in the basement of the house. One of the police officers warned Gottschalk the kitchen, which was right off the basement stairs, was already too hot to enter. The firefighters entered the house through a screened-in porch, and Gottschalk located and entered the stairwell leading to the basement without a fire hose.
The stairwell funneled heat and smoke up to the ground level as he descended. The smoke was floor to ceiling when Gottschalk reached the bottom of the stairs. He used a hand-held thermal imaging camera to search for the missing victim. After several scans, he located the victim lying behind a wall gasping for air. He was able to reach the victim and carry him to safety.
Citations:
“Highland Park Firefighter Earns Medal of Valor: State’s Second Highest Honor Given for Heroic Rescue of Man Trapped in Firey Basement,” Chicago Tribune, March 31, 2014.