ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Ann Arbor Fire Department bestowed Civilian Life Saving Awards to five good samaritans for their heroic actions during a serious house fire on September 18.
At a small ceremony on Sunday morning, John Rozema, Cameron Peterson, Brockton Bowen and Michael Harvey received the awards from AAFD Fire Chief Mike Kennedy at Fire Station 1. Rachel Harvey, the fifth courageous bystander at the fire, was present via video call.
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“Had they not done what they did, the consequence would be different that day,” Kennedy said in a small speech. He recounted how Rozema, Peterson and Bowen were the first to arrive at the scene, followed by the Harveys. Their collective actions saved the life of Michael Gray, the home’s sole occupant.
Read: Inside the bystander rescue from Saturday’s massive house fire in Ann Arbor
In town for a Michigan Wolverines game, Bowen was showing Peterson and Rozema around during their first trip to Ann Arbor. The three men saw the fire and sprung into action.
Michael Harvey and his daughter Rachel were in Ann Arbor for dinner when they saw flames coming out of the South Main Street house. As a former Farmington Hills firefighter, Michael reacted and ran to help the others pull Gray from the burning home. Rachel, a fourth-year medical student, administered care at the scene until EMS arrived.
Gray was in attendance at the intimate ceremony along with friends and family of the five good samaritans. The first fire crew to arrive at the Sept. 18 fire stood in the back of the station and received a round of applause for their efforts.
After the ceremony, Bowen’s mother Donna Bowen recounted the phone call from her son right after the fire. She said she was proud she was of her son and his friends who had returned to Ann Arbor this weekend for another football game and the ceremony.