Medford Firefighter receives award for valor

MEDFORD, Ore. – A Medford firefighter was recently awarded the 2024 Ben Franklin Award for Valor.

According to the City of Medford, Medford Fire Department engineer Manny Sharp received the award at the International Association of Fire Chiefs Conference that was held August 14-16.

NBC5 News spoke with Sharp last August. He said he was enjoying his day off when he saw black smoke near his home and rushed over to find his neighbor’s garage on fire. He kicked the door down and carried out two sleeping teenagers. Their parents arrived shortly after.

“The Mom was running in, because she’s like, ‘My kids’, and I was like, don’t go in there, I got them out. And that’s when she said there’s a third one in there. And I was like, oh man. So then I was like stay right here, your kids need you, I got this. So I ran back in,” said Sharp.

Sharp rescued the third child from a back bedroom after wrapping them in a curtain, and passing them through a broken window.

Medford Fire Chief Eric Thompson said, “Manny’s courage and quick thinking exemplify the highest standards of our profession. We are incredibly honored to have him as a part of our team.”