Blackfoot firefighter to receive Idaho Medal of Honor Friday
An eastern Idaho firefighter has been selected to receive the Idaho Medal of Honor for performing with exceptional courage and bravery during a 2016 rescue attempt.
Blackfoot Fire Department Captain Dave Krumenacker will receive his medal Friday, Sept. 8 at 2:00 p.m. during the Idaho Fallen Firefighter Memorial Ceremony. The event will be held at Riverside Park, 1775 W. Shoreline Drive in Boise.
The award is the state’s highest honor for firefighters, law enforcement officers and EMS providers.
“It’s an honor to announce Captain Krumenacker as the latest recipient of this prestigious award,” said Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, chairman of the Medal of Honor Commission. “The Commission salutes his exemplary service to the Blackfoot community.”
On June 14, 2016, crews with the Blackfoot Fire Department responded to a report of a car driven into a home. The crash started a fire, which soon engulfed the house. Upon arriving at the scene, Capt. Krumenacker learned that an elderly man was trapped inside. Capt. Krumenacker then led a rescue team into the fire. They were able to locate the victim and remove him from the home. Once outside, firefighters began to administer CPR on the victim. However, he succumbed to his injuries.
“What Captain Krumenacker did that evening was extremely brave,” Wasden said. “He made the decision to put his personal safety aside and risk his own life to try and save that of another. That courage in the face of danger represents something all Idaho firefighters can be proud of.”
In May, Sgt. Greg Moore, Coeur d’Alene Police Department (posthumously); Sgt. Kyle Moore, Elmore County Sheriff’s Office; and Chief Deputy Mike Barclay, Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, were each awarded the state’s highest honor for law enforcement during a ceremony at the Idaho Capitol.
