Medina Fire Chief receives Fire Service Valor Award

Larry Walters
Medina Fire Chief Larry Walters was recently honored for pulling a woman from the basement of a fully engulfed home.Emily Canning-Dean, Special to Cleveland.com

MEDINA, Ohio – Thanks to the quick action of Fire Chief Larry Walters on Oct. 23, Branch Road resident Gina Curie, who was trapped in the basement of her home while it was engulfed in flames, is alive and well today.

Walters, who has been with the Medina Fire Department since 1992 and has served as chief since 2022, was honored May 14 at the 44th Ohio Fire Service Hall of Fame and Fire Awards when he received the Fire Service Valor Award.

“The award is well deserved,” Curie said. “Never did I think I would be in that situation and I can never be more thankful for him and the whole department for saving me so I can be there for my children.”

Answering the call was the Earhart/York Fire Department and mutual aid from Chatham, the Medina County Sheriff’s Department and the Medina Fire Department.

Walters said that when he arrived on scene, the home was engulfed in flames and Curie was trapped in the basement. Fire personnel were attempting to pull her out of the basement window.

“The basement was too deep and the window was too small,” Walters said. “I could tell in order for her to get out, someone had to go in.”

Walters entered the basement and pushed Curie out the window as other fire personnel pulled her to safety.

“Chief Walters is a hero obviously,” Assistant Fire Chief Patrick Barrett said. “He did the ultimate task of rescuing someone from a burning building.”

Walters said he also credits the collaborative effort of all the safety agencies involved.

“That was a great example of all the agencies coming together and creating a successful outcome,” he said.

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