Firefighter Bryce Gutierrez of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) is the winner of the 2017 Firehouse Michael O. McNamee Award of Valor. Firehouse Editor-in-Chief Tim Sendelbach and Worcester, MA, District Chief (ret.) Mike McNamee will present the award to Gutierrez during the Oct. 18 opening ceremonies of Firehouse Expo in Nashville, TN.
Gutierrez is recognized for his actions in rescuing four children from a structure fire. On Jan. 16, 2017, LAFD Task Force 33 responded to a fire in a bungalow in south-central Los Angeles. While conducting forcible entry onto the property, Gutierrez heard screams coming from inside. The captain in charge confirmed that four children—ages 2, 3, 5 and 7—were still in the house.
Locked security gates blocked the front entrance, so Gutierrez circled the property and found a rear-bedroom window—the only point of entry not yet consumed by flames.