KANSAS CITY, MO -
This winter the Boys Scouts of America will celebrate 100 years of preparing children and teenagers to be our leaders of tomorrow. In our weekly Fox 4 focus on outstanding young people, we are spotlighting an Eagle Scout from independence who definitely was prepared. Kaleb Keith's training, character and courage enabled him to become a life-saving hero for his family.
"To help other people at all times, to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight," recites Eagle Scout Kaleb Keith at a recent weekly meeting of Troop 347 in east Kansas City. Kaleb lived that Boy Scout motto in a profound way a year ago. As he and his family slept, a treacherous silent killer invaded their home from a stove they were using for heat because their furnace was broken.
"I woke up," says Kaleb, " I came downstairs and sat on the couch and I was talking to my dad and I told him I had the worst headache and he told me he had a bad headache, too."
Kaleb quickly figured out they were dealing with the deadly carbon monoxide gas.
"It was just kind of crazy," recalls Kaleb. Remaining calm and steady as his first aid and emergency training from Scouts kicked in, Kaleb helped his father get his mom and his unconscious younger brothers safely out of the house even though he was later to learn his own CO exposure was by far the highest of the whole family.
"I really don't think I did anything extraordinary," says Kaleb with characteristic modesty. But plenty of other people do. Kaleb's been nominated for a Boy Scout heroism award and he's received numerous other honors -- including a city proclamation.
"For me it was the right thing to do, what anyone should have done," says Kaleb. Maturity, leadership and responsibility are qualities that run deep and wide in Kaleb. And his adult mentors are relying on him more and more to be a role model, motivator and teacher of other youth.
"That runs directly to the core," says Kaleb. "That's something I really believe in."
He does it in Scouts where he's a junior assistant scoutmaster for his troop.
"We put a lot of trust in him," says J.T. Scott, Kaleb's troop scoutmaster for the past four years. "And he carries through what we ask him to do, sometimes on his own."
And he's done it in the Junior ROTC, the military-style youth leadership program at Lincoln College Prep Academy where he's now a high school senior.
"He's got great mentoring capabilities," says Major Ronald Buske, Kaleb's JROTC instructor. "He can really break down a situation and go with the mission at hand in order to accomplish it. He does not waste time. He's very mission oriented. When he has something to do he stays focused."
Everything he needed to come through for his family in a life or death emergency.
"I think without the training, I would have, I'm not sure what I would have done," says Kaleb. "I'm not sure I would have had the ability to think on my feet or to make those decisions."
"Glad you did?" asks a visiting reporter.
"I'm glad, yes," Kaleb replies with a satisfied smile. Doing his best to do his duty -- Kaleb Keith, a hero Eagle Scout.
Playing down his own heroics, Kaleb says he wants his honors and his family's experience to serve as a wake-up call to all of us as we enter another heating season to be aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide, to have our furnaces and other combustion appliances checked and maintained and to make sure we have working CO and smoke detectors in our homes.
FOX 4 News is Working 4 You to spotlight outstanding young people and their positive accomplishments. In our weekly report called Reaching 4 Excellence we meet young achievers in subjects like academics, the arts, leadership, community service, volunteerism, career exploration, overcoming obstacles and heroism. Watch for Reaching 4 Excellence every Wednesday on FOX 4 News at 9 p.m. and every Thursday on FOX 4 News at 5 a.m. and 5 p.m.
"To help other people at all times, to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight," recites Eagle Scout Kaleb Keith at a recent weekly meeting of Troop 347 in east Kansas City. Kaleb lived that Boy Scout motto in a profound way a year ago. As he and his family slept, a treacherous silent killer invaded their home from a stove they were using for heat because their furnace was broken.
"I woke up," says Kaleb, " I came downstairs and sat on the couch and I was talking to my dad and I told him I had the worst headache and he told me he had a bad headache, too."
Kaleb quickly figured out they were dealing with the deadly carbon monoxide gas.
"It was just kind of crazy," recalls Kaleb. Remaining calm and steady as his first aid and emergency training from Scouts kicked in, Kaleb helped his father get his mom and his unconscious younger brothers safely out of the house even though he was later to learn his own CO exposure was by far the highest of the whole family.
"I really don't think I did anything extraordinary," says Kaleb with characteristic modesty. But plenty of other people do. Kaleb's been nominated for a Boy Scout heroism award and he's received numerous other honors -- including a city proclamation.
"For me it was the right thing to do, what anyone should have done," says Kaleb. Maturity, leadership and responsibility are qualities that run deep and wide in Kaleb. And his adult mentors are relying on him more and more to be a role model, motivator and teacher of other youth.
"That runs directly to the core," says Kaleb. "That's something I really believe in."
He does it in Scouts where he's a junior assistant scoutmaster for his troop.
"We put a lot of trust in him," says J.T. Scott, Kaleb's troop scoutmaster for the past four years. "And he carries through what we ask him to do, sometimes on his own."
And he's done it in the Junior ROTC, the military-style youth leadership program at Lincoln College Prep Academy where he's now a high school senior.
"He's got great mentoring capabilities," says Major Ronald Buske, Kaleb's JROTC instructor. "He can really break down a situation and go with the mission at hand in order to accomplish it. He does not waste time. He's very mission oriented. When he has something to do he stays focused."
Everything he needed to come through for his family in a life or death emergency.
"I think without the training, I would have, I'm not sure what I would have done," says Kaleb. "I'm not sure I would have had the ability to think on my feet or to make those decisions."
"Glad you did?" asks a visiting reporter.
"I'm glad, yes," Kaleb replies with a satisfied smile. Doing his best to do his duty -- Kaleb Keith, a hero Eagle Scout.
Playing down his own heroics, Kaleb says he wants his honors and his family's experience to serve as a wake-up call to all of us as we enter another heating season to be aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide, to have our furnaces and other combustion appliances checked and maintained and to make sure we have working CO and smoke detectors in our homes.
FOX 4 News is Working 4 You to spotlight outstanding young people and their positive accomplishments. In our weekly report called Reaching 4 Excellence we meet young achievers in subjects like academics, the arts, leadership, community service, volunteerism, career exploration, overcoming obstacles and heroism. Watch for Reaching 4 Excellence every Wednesday on FOX 4 News at 9 p.m. and every Thursday on FOX 4 News at 5 a.m. and 5 p.m.
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