Coal Grove Police Chief Jason Bloomfield gets paid for his day job, but saving a man’s life as a volunteer firefighter was going above and beyond the call of duty.

Bloomfield was honored by the State Fire Marshal’s Office for his role in saving a man’s life last month when he essentially pulled him from a burning building.

The officer certainly deserves this recognition and truly exemplifies the courage, bravery and selflessness that all our Lawrence County firefighters display on an almost daily basis.

Bloomfield gets paid to serve the village as its chief law enforcement officer but he also volunteers his time as a firefighter because it is simply the right thing to do.

And when he and Coal Grove Fire Chief Gary Sherman were first on the scene to a call that was reported as a kitchen fire, Bloomfield showed his bravery by helping a vision-impaired man to safety.

“There is absolutely no question that Chief Bloomfield’s act of bravery saved Mr. Brammer’s life,” Sherman said at the time.

Those are strong words. And we applaud the state for listening.

On Tuesday Bloomfield was honored with the State Fire Marshal’s Award for Heroism, an honor “bestowed to citizens who show extraordinary unselfishness and courage.”

The man is certainly deserving of this honor and all the other praise that he has received.

Most impressive might be the fact Bloomfield has continually remained humble and tried to downplay his actions.

All the awards may be great but the greatest honor Bloomfield can receive will be a smile and a handshake every time he sees Mr. Brammer.

That is an award that transcends any plaques or certificates.