•September 10, 2025•

by DM Williamee

Sullivan ten-year-old 5th grader Matthew “Matty” Gudenrath heard his neighbors smoke alarm going off and when he was unable to reach his neighbor, he immediately hopped on his bike and rode directly to the Sullivan Fire Department to alert them to the situation. Offered a ride on the fire truck to show them where the address was, Matty opted to hop back onto his bike and lead them nearly 2 miles to residence address, where the call out was quickly resolved. 

On Friday the 5th, Sullivan Fire Department Captain Kenny Graven awarded him a plaque of recognition, “for his courage and quick thinking alerting the fire department of a smoke alarm activation on August 15th, 2025.” A very surprised Matty accepted it humbly. Said Captain Graven of Matty with a handshake, “that was quick and smart-thinking.”