Three Painesville Township firefighters were recently honored for risking their own safety to save a woman trapped in a house fire last fall. Township Fire Chief Eric Burchak and the township’s elected officials presented Lt. Kevin Falvey, firefighter Matt Watson and firefighter Gary Reed with Lif e Saving Awards at the Feb. 3 township trustee meeting. Burchak said their actions during the Robinhood Drive house fire in September directly saved the woman’s life. “I spent the first 30 years of my career as a Cleveland firefighter until retiring in June of 2023 and coming here,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of fires. Probably more than they have, being from a large metropolitan department, and these things don’t work out this way often.” Burchak described the fire as a “high-risk, low-frequency event,” meaning they faced “a great deal of chance for bodily harm.” They also had to rely on training and practice since they don’t face that type of fire often. Painesville Township firefighter Matt Watson, left, receives a Life Saving Award and certificate from township Fire Chief Eric Burchak during the Feb. 3 township trustee meeting. Standing to greet him are township trustees Gabe Cicconetti, Josh Pennock and Chuck Hillier, and township Fiscal Officer Michael Patriarca. (Bryson Durst -- The News-Herald)Painesville Township Fire Lt. Kevin Falvey receives a Life Saving Award and certificate during the Feb. 3 township trustee meeting. Greeting him are township Fire Chief Eric Burchak, left; township trustees Gabe Cicconetti, Josh Pennock and Chuck Hillier; and township Fiscal Officer Michael Patriarca. (Bryson Durst -- The News-Herald)Show Caption1 of 2Painesville Township firefighter Matt Watson, left, receives a Life Saving Award and certificate from township Fire Chief Eric Burchak during the Feb. 3 township trustee meeting. Standing to greet him are township trustees Gabe Cicconetti, Josh Pennock and Chuck Hillier, and township Fiscal Officer Michael Patriarca. (Bryson Durst -- The News-Herald)Expand When they arrived at the site, he said the responders found a one-story wood-frame dwelling that was “well-involved in fire.” Heavy fire came from a back corner and extended through the house. They learned that there was a 20-year-old woman with autism in the front-left corner, Burchak said. The window was too small to enter. Reed “flawlessly” got the team water to fight the fire during the “high stress” situation, Burchak said. Falvey and Watson entered the burning house while facing “heavy fire conditions.” “The two made entry, beating back the fire as they went,” he said. “They made their way into the foyer, into the living room, turned left and located the partially-open bedroom door.” They found the woman face-down and prone, while the room had heavy smoke and high heat, Burchak said. They were unable to extract her because of her size, so they had to focus on suppressing the fire while waiting for help to arrive. He added that responders from Painesville City had just arrived. Falvey fought the fire back while the others worked to get the woman out of the house. Responders from the Leroy Township Fire Department took her to the hospital after they found she was breathing and had a pulse. Painesville Township firefighter Gary Reed, left, firefighter Matt Watson and Lt. Kevin Falvey watch at the township's Feb. 3 trustee meeting, as township officials honor them for their life-saving actions during a Sept. 26 house fire. (Bryson Durst -- The News-Herald)Painesville Township Fire Chief Eric Burchak, speaking during the Feb. 3 township trustee meeting, describes the life-saving actions of three township firefighters during a Sept. 26 house fire. The three firefighters were presented with Life Saving Awards for those actions. (Bryson Durst -- The News-Herald)Show Caption1 of 2Painesville Township firefighter Gary Reed, left, firefighter Matt Watson and Lt. Kevin Falvey watch at the township's Feb. 3 trustee meeting, as township officials honor them for their life-saving actions during a Sept. 26 house fire. (Bryson Durst -- The News-Herald)Expand Burchak said that the woman was in a medically-induced coma and had a tube placed in her for about a week. The tube was later removed and she recovered from her injuries. Her father had been trying to fight the fire before the responders arrived and suffered “severe burns to his upper body and possibly inhalation injuries,” Burchak said. He died from his injuries a week later. Burchak said he was impressed with the firefighters’ conduct. “I believe they risked serious injury or death pushing their way to this well-involved dwelling and then switching to rescue while the fire was still coming from the rear of the interior,” he said. “They were all worthy of recognition, and I believe they exemplify what the Life Saving Award stands for.” Burchak later read the Life Saving Award citation. “Recognizing the urgency of the situation, these firefighters acted without hesitation, displaying exceptional courage, professionalism and teamwork,” he said. “They advanced into the burning residence, knowingly placed themselves in harm’s way to locate and rescue the trapped occupant. “Through their decisive actions and coordinated efforts, they successfully removed the female to safety, directly saving her life,” Burchak said. Their conduct reflects the highest traditions of the fire service and demonstrates extraordinary bravery and selfless devotion of duty.” Painesville Township Fire Department Lt. Kevin Falvey, left, and firefighters Matt Watson and Gary Reed pose near the department's Engine 2739 on Sept. 30. The three of them provided the initial response to a Sept. 27 house fire on the township's Robinhood Drive, where they battled flames as they rescued a woman inside. (Bryson Durst -- The News-Herald)Painesville City Fire Department Lt. Chris Young, left, and firefighter Kyle Friebertshauser pose near one of the department's engines on Sept. 30. They helped firefighters from Painesville Township rescue a woman from a house fire in the township on Sept. 27. (Bryson Durst -- The News-Herald)Show Caption1 of 2Painesville Township Fire Department Lt. Kevin Falvey, left, and firefighters Matt Watson and Gary Reed pose near the department's Engine 2739 on Sept. 30. The three of them provided the initial response to a Sept. 27 house fire on the township's Robinhood Drive, where they battled flames as they rescued a woman inside. (Bryson Durst -- The News-Herald)Expand Township Trustee Gabe Cicconetti later read a proclamation honoring the three firefighters, saying the township was “proud to have these firefighters and their heroism they showed and the work they did to save a life.” Burchak said that it is “very uncommon” to earn a Life Saving Award. He nominated the firefighters to receive a Valor Award from the State Fire Marshal’s Office. He said the award is “for actions that go above and beyond what normally occurs in the fire service.” He also informed the Lake County Blue Coats of their actions. Painesville City Fire Chief Tom Hummel said in an email that he will also give Life Saving Awards to city fire Lt. Chris Young and firefighters Ryan Jeric and Kyle Friebertshauser for their actions during that fire. “They entered the house without protection of a hose line and assisted the Painesville Township firefighters in removing the female victim,” Hummel said. “FF Friebertshauser also accompanied the EMS crew to the hospital with the victim.” Hummel said that he will present the awards at a future Painesville City Council meeting. “We are very proud of the jobs our personnel complete every day that they are on duty, and especially so when they go above and beyond the call of duty, placing themselves in harm’s way in service to the residents of our area,” he said. ...read more read less