President Donald Trump awards Peoria firefighter with Medal of Valor

PHOENIX — A Peoria firefighter was awarded the Medal of Valor by President Donald Trump during a Tuesday ceremony honoring first responders.

The Peoria Fire-Medical Department said engineer Stephen Gunn was honored for his bravery during a house fire two years ago. The Medal of Valor was created by Congress in 2001 to recognize extraordinary acts of heroism among first responders and is the highest honor achievable for public safety officers.

Gunn was the closest firefighter to arrive to the scene near 75th Avenue and Thunderbird Road. He immediately entered the home through a blown-out picture window when he learned people were trapped inside.

“He saw the homeowner in the middle of the room unresponsive, so without a hose line and without thinking any further … he determined him to be savable,” Deputy Fire Chief Gary Bernard said.

Congratulations to Peoria Firefighter Steven Gunn who received the Medal of Valor from President Trump this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/kQAt3A3qHj

— Peoria Fire-Medical (@PeoriaFire) February 21, 2018

He was inside for nearly a full minute while his helmet melted and protective gear blackened. However, he was able to pull a victim from the home.

Bernard said Gunn told him anyone who had received the same training as he did would have done the same thing, but Bernard wasn’t so sure.

“I think there are some folks that definitely would have done that, but he’s a special guy and he made a split-second decision and did what he had to do,” Bernard said.

Gunn suffered burns, was treated and reported on-time for his next shift.

Gunn was also recognized as the state United Firefighter of the Year last year.

KTAR News’ Ali Vetnar contributed to this report.

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