Bensenville wants honor for heroes

Three Bensenville firefighters will be nominated for a state Medal of Honor.

Bensenville Fire Chief Mike Spain said Friday that he plans to nominate Lt. Larry Karp and firefighters Nevin Hahn and Rob Locascio for saving a man's life in a house fire earlier this month.

"I'm extremely proud to serve with them," Spain said. "All three men worked extremely well under duress conditions that resulted in a life being saved. If they hadn't worked fast and effectively, we could have had a fatality."

Several medals are awarded annually by the State Fire Marshal in May. Bensenville has never won a medal, but two of its firefighters received certificates of recognition two years ago, Spain said.

Karp, Locascio and Hahn are being honored for rescuing a man from a burning home Feb. 5 on the 300 block of Spruce Avenue.

When firefighters arrived, they learned that there were possibly two victims -- men who had been hired to rehab the vacant house -- inside.

About 10 minutes into the fire, Locascio found an unconscious man lying face down on the floor in a bedroom. He called Karp for help. The men, wearing masks to help them breathe, then dragged the victim into the hallway where they met Nahn. Locascio and Hahn then dragged the man outside while Karp alerted others of the situation.

"This was a serious fire," Spain said.

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries while fighting the fire, Spain said. The victim was taken to Elmhurst Hospital. He checked out last week. There was no one else in the home at the time of the fire. The cause is still undetermined but it does not appear suspicious, Spain said.

The Bensenville Chamber of Commerce plans to honor all three firefighters at an upcoming meeting.