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WAYNE TOWNSHIP — A local fire department and municipality recently honored a local elementary school student who helped her family escape during a February house fire.

Amberley Meyer recently received a Certificate of Bravery from the Wayne Township Fire Department and Wayne Township Board.

In the early morning hours of Feb. 1, 2023, the Wayne Township Fire Department and Dowagiac City Fire Department were both dispatched under the automatic aide agreement for a structure fire with a residence filled with smoke in Wayne Township.  Upon arrival firefighters observed all the family members were out of the home.  Crews made entry into the residence and observed a house full of smoke and smoke alarms going off. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire quickly.  

During the scene interview with the mother, she noted that the family was upstairs sleeping when the sound of the smoke alarms awakened Amberley, who then woke up her parents.  The mother stated that her daughter had learned what to do when she heard the smoke alarms from a presentation Wayne Township Fire Fighters had done on Fire Prevention at the school earlier in the school year.

The young girl’s family credits her bravery and quick thinking for allowing them to escape the home quickly.  Amberley comes from a long line of fire fighters in her family as her grandfather and great grandfather were both firefighters in central Michigan.  

Both Wayne Township Fire Department and Dowagiac Fire Department participate in going to local schools and teaching students about Fire Prevention and Fire Safety.  Fire fighters would like to remind residents that smoke alarms save lives, and if readers are in need of smoke alarms please contact the local fire department.