09/02/2026
They’ll tell you they were just doing their job.
That anybody else there would have done the exact same thing.
But sometimes what feels routine to a first responder is anything but routine to the rest of us.
On April 4, crews from the West Chicago Fire Protection District responded to a house fire in Warrenville with someone trapped inside.
Lt. David Link, FF Jimmy Aguayo and FF Pat Fogarty worked together to locate and rescue an unconscious victim from the home under heavy smoke and active fire conditions.
Once outside, Fogarty went right from the rescue into patient care with PM Justin Williams and PM Eric Quasney as they transported the patient to the hospital.
The patient survived and made a full recovery.
Last night, I was really glad I got to be there to photograph these guys as they were recognized for what they did.
Lt. Link and FF Aguayo received the 2026 Hundred Club of DuPage County Award of Valor.
Link, Aguayo and Fogarty also received the West Chicago Fire Protection District Merit Award — the first time the district has presented this award.
Fogarty, Williams and Quasney received the Clinical Lifesaving Award for the care they provided after the rescue.
I wasn’t there to photograph the fire that day because I was out of town, but I’m glad I got to be there for this.
None of these guys seemed too interested in standing up and talking about what they did.
To them, they were doing their jobs, relying on their training and working together as a team.
But what they did that day helped save a life.
And I think that’s worth recognizing.
West Chicago Fire Protection District
West Chicago Professional Fire Fighters Association - IAFF Local 3970
