Man Saves Family From Fire, Receives Citizens Life Saving Award

TINLEY PARK, IL — The Tinley Park Village Board of Trustees awarded the first ever Citizens Life Saving Award — issued from the Tinley Park Fire Department — to a Good Samaritan who saved a family from a house fire in March, at the Tuesday evening regular meeting.

On March 4, around 6 a.m., David Sleeper was driving home from work when he noticed a home on the 17300 block of South Harlem Avenue was on fire. He immediately called 911, then took the extra step of banging on windows and the front door to alert the residents of the flames.

The couple inside was asleep at the time, but thanks to Sleeper, everyone managed to escape, and nobody was hurt. However, the home is now deemed inhabitable, and the family was receiving help from the American Red Cross.

At the board meeting, Tinley Park Fire Chief Forest Reeder and the rest of the village board gave Sleeper a standing ovation for his heroic efforts.

"Firefighters and public safety professionals swear a solemn oath to protect lives, and if called upon to do so, put their lives on the line to help those who need us," Reeder said. "It's said that people run from fire, while firefighters face it with courage to their training, as a calling. Mr. David sleeper did what most would not do, he saw a home and fire stopped his travel home after seeing smoke and fire it did the only thing that he thought he could do; and that was to help through his efforts of knocking on the windows and the doors of the house, exposing himself to the heat and smoke from the fire."

Reeder went on to say that without these actions, the outcome of this fire could have been more tragic than injuries and damage.

"In the 120-year history of the Tinley Park Fire Department, this is the first citizens' life-saving award that we have issued to our knowledge. Our medal has been crafted to Mr. Sleeper, and with it comes our thanks and appreciation ... he displayed on the morning of March 4, 2021."

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