WALKER COUNTY, Texas — Corporal Sylvester Glaze was awarded the Medal of Valor on Wednesday for his efforts in a Feb. 24 fire rescue that took place in the 700 block of FM 247 in Huntsville, according to a release from the Walker County Sheriff's Office.
That night around 12:30 a.m., a fire broke out in the area, which resulted in residents needing to be rescued. When Corporal Glaze arrived at the scene, a woman near the front door of the burning building told him that her husband was still inside the house.
Corporal Glaze made the rescue despite the heavy amounts of smoke from the scene, which emergency personnel later said could have injured the individuals inside in a short amount of time. Thankfully, Corporal Glaze ended up not needing medical attention.
According to the release, the Medal of Valor may be awarded to those who "intelligently, and in the line of duty, distinguish themselves by the performance of an act of courage involving the risk of imminent danger to their life, with the knowledge of the risk, above and beyond the call of duty." Additionally, it was noted that the Medal of Valor is awarded for acts that save another person's life.
"If it wasn't for the Deputy I don't think my husband and I would have made it, I wouldn't have left my husband," said the woman involved in the Feb. 24 fire rescue in the release. "Looking back, I don't think I could have lifted my husband. We most likely would have both perished...We truly are grateful to the Deputy, and with all that is within us to say Thank you! He wasn't a fireman, it wasn't his job, but yet he ran into a house on fire to rescue this old woman and unknowingly my husband and two dogs in the process. He's a Hero in our book we are forever grateful."