Oskaloosa Fire Department Recognizes Middle School Student For Helping Report Fire

Lily Woods (center) with a certificate and other donations she received to recognize the good job she did in reporting a recent fire.

September 30th, 2022

Oskaloosa, Iowa – An early report about a fire that damaged a garage the previous weekend could have been much worse if not for the efforts of firefighters and Oskaloosa Middle School Student Lily Woods.

Woods was an early caller about the fire and hung around after the fire department arrived to tell them everything she had witnessed.

The Oskaloosa Fire Department, Mahaska County 911 Dispatch Center, Oskaloosa Middle School, and area businesses Mahaska Drug and Salvaged Designs had something special for Lily.

The Middle School made a lunch of her choice, while the fire department presented a certificate to her and challenge coins. The 911 center also had a challenge coin, Mahaska Drug gave her a gift certificate for Snow Biz, and Salvaged Designs presented a bracelet with the word courage on it.

Oskaloosa firefighter Dustin Hook praised Lily for the actions she took that evening. “Not many 11-year-olds would get on the phone and know what to say or tell people how to get where they need to go. That was awesome.”