On Tuesday, June 17, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz presented a citation to Mohammad Dolah of Bay Ridge, an everyday hero who rescued his neighbor and her father from their burning home on May 25.

Immediately after seeing black smoke pouring from the home of Madeleine Wakim and her father George at 463 85th Street, Dolah grabbed a ladder from a neighbor, propped it up against the burning house and rescued the Wakims through a rear window even before firefighters had a chance to arrive.

Aside from his heroic efforts, Dolah went a step further and offered the Wakim family an apartment he was renting—giving them the first month free and only charging the monthly rent they were paying at their previous residence.

Accompanying Dolah at the Borough Hall ceremony were his parents Mahmoud and Olga. Also joining Wakim were her brother John and mother Micheline.

“This kind of generosity is rare in the world, but I have to tell you it’s what makes Brooklyn special,” says BP Markowitz. “Mohammed Dolah’s actions are indeed exceptional—and, in a day where athletes and celebrities are considered heroes by our youth, here is an everyday hero who risked his own life to save the lives of his neighbors.”