Jeff Mullen, Hilton Fire Department Captain, will be honored at a luncheon Wednesday, May 28 at the Penfield Country Club, 1784 Jackson Road, Penfield. Mullen will receive the Kiwanis International Service Award from the Monroe County Fire Service for his heroic efforts March 30, 2003 while rescuing a man from an automobile that was inside a fully involved working house fire.

Other members of the Hilton Fire Department as well as the Greece Police Department assisted Captain Mullen in this rescue. They all were faced with severe fire conditions in this structure and made this life saving rescue against great personal risk to them.

According to a review of the incident by Chief Mike Lissow: "The Hilton Volunteer Fire Department responded to a reported car into a house. We have been to this address a few times for the same type of calls before, but this one was different.

While enroute, our dispatch center gave us an update reporting the driver trapped and the car smoking. Upon arrival, in his personal car, Captain Jeff Mullen reported one person trapped with a car on fire in a house.

Captain Mullen entered the house and worked on removing the unconscious driver as the dining room became involved. Captain Mullen broke a window on the car and dragged the driver out of the car and house as the fire intensified.

After removing the driver and handing him over to an EMT who had arrived, also in their personal vehicle, Captain Mullen then turned his attention to the well involved house fire. He declared a working fire as the fire equipment was pulling up on scene.

Chief Mike Lissow arrived and put the incident command system into effect.

The fire was under control in 42 minutes. The house sustained extensive damage from both the vehicle and the resulting fire. The driver was transported to the hospital where he was treated and released."