Seymour police officers Joe Fegan, left, and Sam Hughes, middle, hold the medals that Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones, right, presented to them Tuesday for their attempts to rescue two individuals from a burning building earlier this year. The presentation ceremony was held at the police station in downtown Seymour.
Chey Smith | The Tribune
Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones, right, reads the plaque explaining the significance of The State Fire Marshal Valor Medal that Joe Fegan, left, and Sam Hughes, middle, received Tuesday at the Seymour Police Department.
Chey Smith | The Tribune
Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones, right, shakes the hand of Officer Sam Hughes, middle, to congratulate him and Officer Joe Fegan, left, for attempting to save two individuals from a burning home earlier this year. The presentation ceremony was held at the police station in downtown Seymour.
Chey Smith | The Tribune
Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones, right, shakes hands with Seymour Officer Joe Fegan after congratulating him and Seymour Officer Sam Hughes, middle, for attempting to save two individuals from a burning building earlier this year. The presentation ceremony was held at the police station in downtown Seymour.
Chey Smith | The Tribune
Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones, right, hands Seymour Officer Sam Hughes his State Fire Marshal Valor Medal along with a folder explaining its significance Tuesday at the Seymour Police Department.
Chey Smith | The Tribune
Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones, right, handing Seymour Police Officer Joe Fegan his State Fire Marshal Valor Medal along with a folder explaining its significance as Officer Sam Hughes, middle, smiles Tuesday at the Seymour Police Department
Chey Smith | The Tribune
“There’s good things in the state of Indiana that don’t get recognized,” said Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones, but on Tuesday at the Seymour Police Department, two officers were honored for their service in the community.
Officer Joe Fegan and Officer Sam Hughes were recognized for saving a female and attempting to go back inside to save a male still trapped in a house fire. In this instance, the police department was notified before the fire department was and these two officers arrived at the scene.
According to the fire investigator on the case, Josh Watterson, the female at the scene was going in and out of the house and Fegan and Hughes were the officers that got her outside and kept her out of the house. He said that their actions “probably prevented another fatality out of this fire.”
Due to the fire conditions of the house, they were unable to get to the male, but Watterson said “without hesitation” they still tried. Both the female and male were treated for smoke inhalation.
“[The police are] usually good with dealing with the knives and the guns …” said Watterson, “but the smoke inhalation isn’t something that’s common for those law enforcement guys.”
After this fire, Watterson submitted a request to Jones to honor the officers’ actions that day, which was approved, making Tuesday’s recognition possible.
Jones said he is blessed to represent 900 fire departments in Indiana and support both fire service and other forms of public safety including law enforcement.
“In Indianapolis, I may get 50 firefighters on a house fire,” said Jones. “The rest of the state of Indiana, it’s a combination of police and firefighters working together to save lives.”
According to Jones, last year in Indiana, firefighters made 800,000 “fire runs,” which does not include the 1.2 million “EMS runs” made.
For their service, Fegan and Hughes were presented with The State Fire Marshal Valor Medal by Jones.
“The State Fire Marshal Valor Medal represents that the individual receiving the award has demonstrated the willingness to protect others and property by placing their own life at risk …” Jones read from the plaques then given to both officers. “For there is no greater tribute to life than the willingness to protect it with one’s own life.”
Within the medal itself, it is designed with many symbolic messages such as its colors, blue and gold, representing Indiana’s state colors and the engravings and imagery on its face, such as the two stars on the outer ring symbolizing the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Local Fire Service’s partnership.
For Fegan, this award meant a lot to him. He grew up in San Diego, California, which he described as rough and wanted to serve and make a difference in the community.
“I’ve never had an award in my life,” said Fegan, and now, he can say he has earned a very honorable one.
Hughes said he was at the “right place, right time” and that he knows any other officer would have done the same in his place.
Jones thanked both the people on and off the streets, giving recognition to the families behind the scenes.
“At the end of the day, we can’t do what we do unless we have our family’s support,” Jones said.
Hughes’s wife, Bailey, said her husband “always goes above and beyond,” very proud of him for what he has done for the community, including this special achievement.
“They (families of law enforcement) see stuff on the police side that the public never sees when dad comes home from work,” said Jones.