BOISE, Idaho — Four men were presented with Citizen Life-Saving awards from the Boise Fire Department after they risked their own safety to run into a burning apartment building to rescue people inside the building.
The four heroes were given the award by Boise Fire Chief Dennis Doan at Tuesday night's Boise City Council meeting.
The fire happened at apartments on the corner of Jefferson and 15th streets on April 23.
Doan said two of the men, Kris Adams and Michael Mumford, were doing some painting work nearby at Les Schwab when they heard someone yell, "fire." They ran to the building and could hear someone inside yelling for help so they ran in.
The other two men, Sam Johnson and Jimmy Hallyburton, were passing by the area and stopped to help.
According to Doan, all four ran in and started knocking on doors and checking rooms to make sure everyone inside the building was out. One man was trapped in his apartment on the second floor and the men were able to get him safely out of the building.
Though Doan called their actions 'heroic,' Hallyburton said that's not how he sees it.
"For me, I was riding by and I got there at a time when there was no firefighters there and it made sense to go in and see if there was anybody else," Hallyburton told KTVB. "And I think that we as people, if we can do things to help and we know we have that ability, we tend to do that."
At Tuesday night's council meeting, all four were given a life-saving award certificate and coin.
Four Boiseans get life-saving awards for fire rescue
PLANS FOR A NEW PARK
Also at the meeting, the City Council approved plans for a new public park to move forward. Part of the plan includes an agreement between the city and Capitol Development Corporation to develop space adjacent to 11th and Bannock streets as a public park.
According to city spokesman Mike Journee, the approval by the council Tuesday night means plans can move forward on possible designs. The city expects to get public feedback on the design in late summer or early fall.
AMENDED BICYCLE ORDINANCE
The City Council also amended a city ordinance dealing with vehicles and bicyclists. Drivers must now allow at least three feet between the side of their vehicle and cyclists when passing them on roadways. The city said the change is part of its continued effort to update all of its ordinances.
