‘We never do this job for recognition;’ Vandalia officers awarded after apartment fire rescue

VANDALIA — Three Vandalia police officers were honored Monday night after they helped rescue people from a West Van Lake Drive apartment after it caught fire in January.

Sgt. Doug Nagel and Officer Phil Shafer and Kristen Thomas were each awarded by the city after Vandalia Fire Chief Chad Follick nominated them for their efforts.

RELATED: Apartment destroyed after fire on West Van Lake Drive in Vandalia

“While in a stressful situation, Sergeant Nagel took exceptional action at great personal risk by scaling a stair rail from the second floor to the third floor to rescue a resident,” the nominating letter from Follick said. “Sgt. Nagel was faced with heavy smoke which limited his breathing and vision, climbed the railing without any safety equipment to prevent him from falling, and guided the resident down three flights of stairs through heavy smoke.”

Nagel was awarded the Medal of Valor, which the city said “is bestowed upon an officer who, in a stressful situation, takes exceptional action to great personal risk to save the life of another.”

“We never do this job for recognition. Obviously we do it because we enjoy working in our community, we love our city, and trying to keep it safe,” Nagel said

Shafer and Thomas received the Distinguished Service Medal. It is given to officers who exercise good judgement or went beyond the call of duty to save the life of another person while the officer is in a stressful situation, the city said.

>> Boyfriend accused in death of 6-year-old James Hutchinson planning to plead guilty to charges

Both Thomas and Shafer worked with Nagel to evacuate the residents from the apartment complex and stayed in the building to help Nagel evacuate a resident from the third floor.

“To know that we helped someone make it home is an exceptional feeling,” Thomas said.

Vandalia Police Chief Kurt Althouse said the work of the officers was “an example of exceptional service while putting their safety at risk.”

The three officers were awarded Monday at 7 p.m. during the Vandalia City Council meeting at 333 James Bohanan Drive.

©2021 Cox Media Group