Oak Park honors officers and a 9-year-old civilian for life-saving actions; local florist receives Main Street grant

Oak Park City Council used part of its meeting to recognize local public-safety personnel and a civilian for life-saving actions during a January 3 house fire. Public Safety Director Steve Cooper described the incident and presented merit citations to officers and dispatchers and a civilian citation to Jonah Lawrence, who was credited with alerting neighbors and prompting a rapid 911 response that contributed to saving his 5-year-old sister.

Cooper read a citation describing the timeline: dispatch received the house-fire call at about 10:28 p.m., arriving officers saw heavy smoke and flames, and a search-and-rescue team located an unresponsive 5‑year‑old who was removed and transported for emergency care. The citation in the record states that medical staff later expected a full recovery for the three children involved. Cooper praised the department and the youth: "For someone so young to think so quickly on their feet is simply amazing," he said when presenting Jonah with the civilian citation.

Earlier in the meeting, Michelle Bishop, identified as the city economic manager, announced that Excelsure Floral Studio received a Main Street Oakland County grant supported by MSU Federal Credit Union; representatives from Main Street and MSUFCU described the program's focus on helping small businesses adopt new technology and marketing platforms. Owners Gregory Brown and Angie Kelly accepted the recognition and thanked the council for support.

Both presentations were ceremonial; the council congratulated recipients and acknowledged the role of first responders and local business supports. No formal policy action was taken as part of these recognitions.