Four Valley firefighters honored for heroism at Hall of Fame & Fire Awards Ceremony

Four firefighters from the Mahoning Valley were honored for their heroism during the Ohio Fire Service Hall of Fame and Awards Wednesday.

The Awards were attended by over 200 people in downtown Columbus including first responders, state officials and family members of honorees.

Among those honored were Fowler firefighter and EMT Travis Birch, and Youngstown firefighters Scott Thomas, Tommy Gibbs and Joseph Koziel.

Birch was honored with the Fire Service Valor Award for rescuing a woman in her 80s from her burning home in Vienna Township last July.

According to the release, Birch was at home when he heard the emergency call for the house fire just two miles away. He went to the home without any protective equipment and broke through a glass door before pulling the injured woman to safety.

Birch described the incident saying he was off-duty and cooking dinner for his kids when he heard the call. After pulling the victim from the home, Birch and police officers on scene carried her to the front yard where they treated her.

Youngstown firefighters Scott Thomas, Tommy Gibbs and Joseph Koziel were also presented with the Fire Service Valor Award.

Thomas, Gibbs and Koziel were honored for their actions in the immediate aftermath of the Realty Building explosion in downtown Youngstown last May. The three firefighters risked their lives during rescue efforts, saving the lives of explosion victims in the process.

Gibbs described pulling out of the fire station and seeing heavy smoke which he said reminded him of the smoke filling up New York City on September 11, 2001.

When they arrived on scene, Gibbs, Thomas and Koziel worked to pull people out of the rubble of the basement, including a woman who was pregnant.