Detroit fireman honored.

In October 2003 a three-story building in Detroit caught fire, and flames, smoke, and heat trapped people inside. Some people jumped from the building in fear. Among the firefighters who arrived at the scene of the blaze was Gerald Norgren, a resident of suburban Melvindale. Norgren had wanted to be a firefighter since childhood.

Norgren and fellow firefighter Jeff Hamm set up a ladder and climbed to a second-floor porch, whereupon Norgren jumped through a smoke-filled window.

A spokesperson for the Detroit Fire Fighters Association described what happened next: "Enduring excruciating heat and total blindness, Firefighter Norgren painstakingly hand searched the room while being beaten down by the deadly conditions, and near the end of his air supply, found an adult male who was pinned under a dresser." The statement continued: "Reaching for an extra level of strength and endurance, Firefighter Norgren moved the dresser off the victim and dragged him toward the window, where he was met by Firefighter Hamm, who was also attempting a search and rescue. Aptly assisted, Firefighter Norgren applied CPR to the victim on the porch, still being buffeted by the hazardous conditions of the still unchecked fire."

The victim was taken to a nearby hospital, but unfortunately, he never recovered. Norgren received a medal of valor from the Detroit Fire Fighters Association and a meritorious medallion award from the Detroit Firemen's Fund.

In a report on this incident in the News-Herald of Southgate, Michigan, Norgren appeared philosophical about the dangers of his job and the unavoidable loss of life. "Fires are not uncommon in Detroit," he said. "When that does happen, people do die, unfortunately." But the hero was not dissuaded from his important job. He told the paper that firefighters cannot let fear get in the way, and that the job was not about the money. "You have to love what you do," he said.