In Petersburg, Virginia, a seventh grader is being hailed as a hometown hero after risking his own safety to save his family from a fast-moving house fire. Four lives were spared that day — and all because 12-year-old Romir Parker’s instincts told him there was no time to waste.

It happened in early June, when an ordinary afternoon suddenly turned into a life-or-death emergency. Romir was upstairs in his bedroom when he heard an unusual noise from downstairs. Curious, he headed toward the sound — only to be met by a wall of thick, black smoke.

Inside the burning home was his grandmother, who needed help to escape. Braving the smoke again, Romir went back inside, found her, and guided her to safety — just minutes before the Petersburg Fire Department arrived. The fire, which had spread quickly, was brought under control within minutes, but officials acknowledged that without Romir’s actions, the outcome could have been tragic.

Petersburg Fire Chief Wayne Hoover was quick to recognize the boy’s courage. “Even if our crew got there within four minutes, Romir saved his family’s lives,” Hoover said. As a tribute, the city presented Romir with a proclamation honoring his “bravery and presence of mind, well beyond his years,” and the fire department made him an honorary firefighter. Family vacation packages..

The chief went a step further, telling the young hero that when he turns 18, there’s a place for him in the fire brigade if he ever wants it.