Firefighters honored and remembered at Springfield event

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Firefighters who died in the line of duty have been honored during a ceremony at the Illinois State Capitol.

The annual Illinois Fallen Firefighters Memorial and Fire Fighting Medal of Honor Awards Ceremony was held Tuesday in Springfield.

The families of two late firefighters were presented with a gold badge. They were Captain Eric Kohlbauer of the Freeport Rural Fire Protection District and Kenneth Harris, a firefighter and paramedic in Oak Park.

Also, two dozen firefighters received the Firefighter Excellence Award for an act of service in the line of duty. The winners included firefighters from departments in Chicago, Kankakee and Pekin.

State Fire Marshal Matt Perez says those recognized "went above and beyond the call of duty."