Posen Man Is 'Outstanding Citizen' For Saving Neighbor From Fire

POSEN, IL — A Posen man was honored by the village last week for his efforts in saving an elderly man from a house fire, village officials told Patch.

Jose Thomas Martinez was given the Outstanding Citizen Award at Posen's March 22 village board meeting. According to officials, Martinez ran into a blazing house on Jan. 6 after he heard his neighbor screaming for help.

Amy Quirk's father had gotten up early that morning, the Posen resident told Patch, and was sitting downstairs when Quirk woke up. Quirk has lived with and taken care of her father, a retired Posen police officer, since her mother died last March.

Quirk said she was headed to the bathroom to take a shower when she heard her father yelling "fire, fire, fire!" She ran downstairs into the living room to see a power cord had caught fire and the flames were moving up the wall. It was pitch black in the home.

"I ran for the fire extinguisher. While I did that, my dad tried to get up but fell. When I returned, it was getting worse, so I tried and tried to get him up and couldn't," Quirk said. "I didn't have my phone or glasses to see. I grabbed his phone and ran out the front door, yelling and screaming for help."

At that moment, Martinez was working on his truck outside. According to Martinez, he normally leaves for work before 7 a.m. but was having car troubles that morning that kept him behind.

"I heard Amy yelling 'Call 911, my dad's inside!' and ran in," Martinez said. "It was pitch black with smoke, and I couldn't see him until Bob spoke up."

Quirk said Martinez pulled her father out of the home "just in the nick of time." Martinez's efforts also allowed Quirk to run to the back entrance of the house to save the family's pets.

Once firefighters arrived, Quirk said Martinez went into his own house and got coats, gloves and hats for Quirk and her father to wear in the sub-zero morning temperatures.

"I don't know what we would have done without him," said Quirk. "We would have lost my dad if it wasn't for his help."