Politics & Government

McGuire Honors Bolingbrook Medal of Valor Recipient

Lt. Frank DiGiovanni was in Springfield Tuesday for the Fallen Firefighter Memorial Ceremony.

Submitted by the office of State Sen. Pat McGuire:

State Senator Pat McGuire (D-Joliet) welcomed Bolingbrook Fire Department Lt. Frank DiGiovanni to Springfield on Tuesday, where they both attended the Fallen Firefighter Memorial Ceremony.

Lt. DiGiovanni was in Springfield to receive the Medal of Valor from the Firefighter Medal of Honor Committee for the courage and bravery he displayed in an April 2013 house fire. The State of Illinois awards the Medal of Valor to a firefighter for “an act of heroism or bravery that clearly demonstrates courage and dedication in the face of danger while in the performance of duty.”

Lt. DiGiovanni, a member of Bolingbrook Fire Fighters Association  Local 3005, received the award for rescuing a man from a fire after arriving on the scene with only a two-person engine. Lt. DiGiovanni forced entry into the home and, without the protection of a fire hose, entered the home and retrieved the unconscious victim. After removing the victim from the burning building and getting him to the safety of an awaiting ambulance, Lt. DiGiovanni secured a fire hose, and with the help of his fellow firefighter, proceeded to extinguish the fire.

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McGuire, whose late father, Paul, was a City of Joliet firefighter, lauded Lt. DiGiovanni. "Firefighting has changed in recent decades due to improvements in technology, but the need for selflessness when lives are in danger remains,” McGuire said. “Lt. Frank DiGiovanni displayed amazing courage by crawling on his hands and knees to rescue a man from a burning home in Bolingbrook. That man is alive today thanks to Lt. DiGiovanni's heroism.”


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