Five La Grange Fire Department members received state awards for bravery Tuesday after rescuing a person from a burning building last year.

Firefighter/Paramedic Cody Boll and Firefighter/Paramedic Chuck Crudele each received the Firefighter Excellence Award at the 33rd Annual Illinois Fallen Firefighter Memorial and Medal of Honor Ceremony in Springfield on May 12. Captain James Baum, Firefighter Chris Conrad, and Probationary Firefighter Timothy Trocke received a Unit Citation Award for the same incident.

According to the La Grange Fire Fighters Association, the awards recognized the crew's response to a structure fire on September 9, 2025. The team operated in heavy fire conditions and found and rescued a victim. The Village of La Grange had previously recognized the crew at a village board meeting.

The ceremony, at which Illinois State Fire Marshal Michele L. Pankow and Governor JB Pritzker praised the bravery of the honorees, began with a memorial service on the State Capitol grounds before moving to the Bank of Springfield Center for the awards presentation.

"These men and women answered the call to serve without hesitation, placing the safety of others above their own," Pankow said.

Statewide, the ceremony honored recipients across several categories, including two Medal of Honor awards, three Medals of Valor, 13 Firefighter Excellence Awards, and six Unit Citations. The Medal of Honor, the state's highest firefighter award, went to Kevin McNicholas of the Chicago Fire Department and Gino Casciola of the Addison Fire Protection District.

The ceremony also memorialized Chicago Fire Department Captain David Meyer, who died from injuries sustained while battling a garage fire in April 2025. A brick was placed on the Illinois Fallen Firefighter Memorial in his honor.