A local Army veteran was honored by the city of Enterprise last week for his role in saving two women from a house fire recently.
Enterprise Mayor William E. Cooper, at a city council meeting Tuesday, honored Marvin Pinckney for his heroic actions earlier this month by giving him a plaque and a key to the city.
Pinckney, a retired Army command sergeant major, was in his garage on Sept. 3 when he noticed flames coming from a neighbor's home on Bellwood Road.
Pinckney proceeded to call 911 and enter the home to rescue Mary Griffin and her caregiver.
With the help of other neighbors, Pinckney was able to evacuate the women from the home.
"Mr. Pinckney, I know you do not want to be recognized as a hero, but you truly are," Cooper said at the meeting. "The City Council, Chief Davis, and I commend you on your unwavering regards to your own safety and for jumping into action without hesitation."
Cooper said that Pinckney's actions changed the outcome of a situation that could have been tragic.
"They didn't know there was a fire at that point," Pinckney said, adding that his first effort was to get Griffin from her stationary chair to her wheelchair and her portable oxygen supply, according to the Dothan Eagle.
As the flames moved from the garage through the house, the electricity went out and smoke filled the rooms, making an exit through the window of the only remaining smoke-free room the only option, Pinckney told the Dothan Eagle. Pinckney lifted Griffin through the window into the arms of neighbors who had gathered outside to offer assistance.
"She was most concerned about not being able to take her portable oxygen with her," Pinckney told the Dothan Eagle. "But I assured her that the rescue squad would have some."
Family friend Charlene Goolsby has visited Mary Griffin, who is recovering from non-life threatening injuries. She is appreciative of Pinckney and the neighbors who came to help. "She is just very grateful to be alive," Goolsby told the Dothan Eagle.
According to the Dothan Eagle, the retired command sergeant major declines to be called a hero.
"I've lived in this neighborhood for about a year," Pinckney told the Dothan Eagle. "These are my neighbors. It was just instinct to do the right thing."
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email caleb.taylor@1819News.com.
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