Lt. Tony Cavallo in the St. Charles Fire Department recently was named a finalist in the 2016 American Legion Firefighter of the Year Award.

Cavallo will be honored at 7 p.m. today (Sept. 6, 2016) at the St. Charles City Council meeting, in Council Chambers, 2 E. Main Street in St. Charles.

Cavallo had to meet stringent eligibility guidelines and professional criteria to be considered for the award, which includes nominees from fire departments throughout Illinois.

“We are pleased and proud that Lt. Cavallo received this distinguished recognition,” said St. Charles Fire Chief Joe Schelstreet. “Throughout his career, Lt. Cavallo has shown he is a well-rounded, caring professional who is dedicated to his community, his profession and his Fire Department.”

Cavallo has received multiple citations for his competence, courage and compassion. His nomination highlights incidents such as rescuing a wheelchair-bound resident from a second floor apartment that was on fire by bringing him down a ladder to safety. It also notes a time he extinguished a large grill fire at the VFW after last year’s Memorial Day Parade and personally bought groceries to replace what was ruined in the fire so the veterans could enjoy their picnic.

“That’s the kind of behavior that got Tony noticed,” said John DePauw, commander of the American Legion Post 342 in St. Charles. “It was not only his service record, but what he did when not on duty.”

SOURCE: city of St. Charles news release

• Feature Photo Caption: American Legion Immediate Past State Cmdr. Paul Gardner, St. Charles Fire Chief Joe Schelstreet and Lt. Tony Cavallo at a recent award ceremony.

About the City of St. Charles

Located in both DuPage and Kane counties, the city of St. Charles is 35 miles west of downtown Chicago. International employers, innovative schools, beautiful parks, local and regional resources, river and amenities and unique architecture have earned St. Charles its reputation as the Pride of the Fox. The city is home to 1,794 businesses that employ 18,000 people. St. Charles also features a large manufacturing community, that makes everything from mosquito repellent to plastic cups. The city is assisted by an active Chamber of Commerce, a full service Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Downtown St. Charles Partnership. For more information, including the latest news, visit the city of St. Charles website and Facebook Page.