Joseph Clark Brock helped to save Elmer D. Deal from burning, Martinsville, Virginia, December 28, 2000. Deal, 79, remained in the living room of his second-floor apartment, in a two-story commercial building, after fire broke out on the first floor at night and filled the building with smoke. Unable to walk unaided, he broke out a living room window and called for help. Driving nearby, Brock, 21, machine operator, saw smoke issuing from the building, then saw Deal leaning out the window. After reporting the fire, Brock responded to an outside door that opened to Deal’s apartment. Despite dense smoke that extended almost to the floor, he entered the apartment repeatedly, crawling, before having to retreat for air. He crawled inside a final time and reached Deal. A 12-year-old boy also had responded to the building, entered the apartment, and encountered Deal. As flames spread quickly in the building, Brock and the boy took Deal through the apartment and outside to safety. The building was destroyed by the fire. Deal required hospitalization for treatment of smoke inhalation, and he recovered. Brock was given oxygen at the scene for having inhaled smoke, and he too recovered.
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