(Radio Iowa) – Three policemen have been honored for saving a man from a burning apartment in downtown Oelwein last February. Iowa Department of Public Safety Commissioner Stephen Bayens says the officers were first to arrive at the scene of an apartment building fire, went door to door to evacuate residents and rescued a man after they heard his feeble call for help.

“These three officers showed exceptional courage and judgment knowing that immediate action was necessary,” Bayens says. “They disregarded their own safety by plunging into a smoke-billowing apartment without the benefit of safety equipment to preserve life.”

Oelwein officers Gage Voshell, William Ward and Codi Wurzer were treated for smoke inhalation. Their Awards of Valor are named for the five Sullivan brothers of Waterloo who were killed in action during World War II when the U-S-S Juneau was sunk by Japanese torpedoes. Kelly Sullivan, the granddaughter of one of the siblings, attended yesterday’s (Wednesday’s) ceremony at the Capital and handed each officer their honorary medal.