By: Maria Allard | Roseville-Eastpointe Eastsider | Published February 21, 2026
EASTPOINTE — At the last two Eastpointe City Council meetings, brief presentations were held to recognize a number of Eastpointe firefighters for their dedication to the profession.
On Feb. 3, fire citations were presented to Lt. Micheal Szczesniak and firefighters Andy Pounders and Brian Schimanski for their “conspicuous courage and decisive action” at a residential fire on California Street in St. Clair Shores.
At the Feb. 17 City Council meeting, Battalion Chief Jason Frattini, Sgt. Matt Sahr, and firefighters Michael Adamo and Robert Uphoff were honored with unit citations for their “exemplary performance” when responding to a vehicle that had crashed into a garage on Aug. 29. Fire Chief Jason Clark said Uphoff is no longer with the department but still received a citation. Sahr couldn’t attend the meeting.
“We’re a modest group, so a lot of these awards get done behind closed doors,” Clark said. “We’re trying to change that to let the community see what these guys do on a daily basis.”
On Nov. 14, Szczesniak, Pounders and Schimanski responded to a residential structure fire to assist St. Clair Shores. Upon arrival in smoky conditions, they entered the residence amid heat and zero visibility and searched multiple rooms.
In the search, the firefighters located an unresponsive person on a bedroom floor in an area of heavy smoke and heat. They quickly removed the individual, carried the patient outside where emergency medical services were waiting, and then went back inside the house to confirm that no other persons were there.
Frattini, Sahr, Adamo and Uphoff were commended for their “exemplary performance” when responding to the vehicle that had breached a cinderblock garage and left the driver trapped and unresponsive.
“It was a high-risk, low-frequency run,” Clark said. “It’s not something you see all the time.”
“Acting with urgency and precision under potential collapse conditions, the crew ensured scene safety, stabilized the vehicle, and successfully extricated the victim,” according to the citation language. “Their swift, decisive actions exemplify courage, teamwork, and dedication, bringing great credit to themselves and the department.”
“I was sitting in my office and these guys got a call for a medical. They went over there. I heard them call for another engine, which alerted me that there was more than something than just a medical,” Clark said. “A patient drove through a garage. The garage collapsed onto the vehicle, and they were pinned in the vehicle. The guys were able to extricate the patient through the windshield and assess the situation. Because of that, they got the patient out in a timely manner.”