The director of public safety for the city of Sturgis was honored at a recent city commission meeting for saving lives during a fire.
Mayor Robert Hile said Geoff Smith, the first to arrive at the scene, found two adults and a baby on the second floor and no way for them to escape.
Using a neighbor’s ladder, Smith rescued all three occupants safely through the second-story window. As firefighters arrived, they found heavy flames coming from the second-story apartment of the structure, and had to use multiple hand lines and a tower truck to extinguish the blaze.
Vice mayor Jon Good thanked Smith for the quick action and leadership he demonstrated.