Four local men were honored Tuesday night at the Valley Preferred Spirit of Courage Awards held at DeSales University.

Pottsville Fire Chief James Misstishin Sr. received the Prevention Partner Award for his work in teaching children about fire safety and what to do if they are ever in a fire. His education efforts helped a little girl take the actions she needed in order to save her life.

The little girl was asked after her rescue how she knew what to do.

“Because the chief taught me,” she said. The girl said she felt the door to check to see if it was hot, just like she learned from Chief Misstishin. Finding it hot, she went to the window, opened it and waited for help.

The night of the fire, Pottsville Police Department Officer Michael Hrebik was on duty. He was the officer who rescued her from the fire on Arch Street in Pottsville on March 9, 2023. Hrebik, a Nesquehoning native, received a Spirit of Courage Award for his actions that night.

The Valley Preferred Spirit of Courage Award is given to people who have risked their lives to save others from a fire, according to the Burn Prevention Network that presents the awards.

In a video before receiving the award, Hrebik and Misstishin discussed the events of that fire. Hrebik said when he responded to the call, he saw thick smoke coming from the house. He attempted to rescue the girl by going up the stairs to the second floor, but he had to turn back.

“The amount of smoke up the steps was just thick brown. I couldn’t breath. I got as low as I could. I still couldn’t get through the smoke, which ended up being right where the fire was. It was right next to her doorway,” Hrebik said.

Hrebik ran back down the stairs, and out of the front door. He ran around to the back of the house, and tried to convince the girl to jump from the window, but she was scared. He ran into the kitchen and found a circular kitchen table, which he rolled outside and placed under her window. The girl’s mother handed him a chair, and he placed it on top of the table, then climbed up to get as close as possible to the window. The girl jumped into his arms, and they both fell backward and onto the ground. Neither of them got hurt from the fall.

The girl was then loaded into an ambulance, and her mother gave Officer Hrebik a hug.

“When she gave me that hug, the feeling that I felt was just unbelievable. She was obviously so thankful that her daughter was saved, but that’s when it really set in for me. I was very thankful that everybody was ok, and it played out the way it did.”

Misstishin was visually touched when he recalled being told about that the little girl was in one of his presentations and did what he told the children to do in case of a fire.

“When they came back from the hospital, I gave that girl a great big hug and thanked her. She’s here because (it was) about listening to me,” Misstishin said. “When I go to the schools, I hope kids will listen, but she’s proved the point that kids do listen.”

The awards event also honored Assistant Fire Chief Zachary T.A. Paris and Firefighter Marvin Gruber posthumously. They died in a house fire on Clamtown Road in West Penn Township on Dec. 7, 2022.

The Burn Prevention Network is going to donate to a memorial at Ontelaunee Park in New Tripoli, in lieu of the crystal awards presented to the other recipients.

“This memorial will be a visible reminder of their ultimate commitment and sacrifice, and a place for solace for all at the request of the families who are here today,” an award presenter said. “Besides being dedicated firefighters, they are also beloved fathers, husbands, sons, and friends to many.”

Spirit of Courage Awards were also presented to the following:

Several other awards were presented, including the Chairman’s Award to all first responders involved in battling the R.M. Palmer Explosion on March 24, 2023, in West Reading.