What would prompt someone to rush into a burning building to rescue someone stranded or to shield a person from a gunman's bullets?

Andrew Carnegie, the Pittsburgh steel magnate, was intrigued by stories of heroism, especially after a miner and an engineer died trying to rescue others after a coal mine disaster that killed 181 people.He was so obsessed with that rare aspect of human behavior that he devoted a part of his life and fortune to having the top minds of his day study it. When it came to explaining heroism though, even the best-financed investigators found self-sacrifice to be unpredictable.In 1904 Carnegie established the Carnegie Hero Fund, which gives cash awards to civilians who save so others might live. Originally endowed through a trust of $5 million, it continues to bestow bronze medals and $3,500 grants to recipients."I do not expect to stimulate or create heroism by this fund, knowing well that heroic action is impulsive," Carnegie said at the time.Since 1904 the Carnegie Commission has seen over 80,000 cases of extreme heroism and honored 9,737 individuals. Ninety percent of the heroes have been men, which means about 800 men have been risking their lives every year for others.This year's class of 19 Carnegie Heroes includes Bernard Kozen of Tobyhanna. The 56-year-old parks director of Ross Township was attending a municipal meeting in Saylorsburg on Aug. 5, 2013, when 60-year-old Rockne Newell opened fire with a rifle. Although shot in the leg, Kozen struggled with and subdued the gunman until police could arrive.Numerous other acts of heroism occur every day and the people receive no recognition. Last week, a North Philadelphia officer showed remarkable restraint in disarming a man firing an AR-15 assault weapon on a city street. Officer Kollin Berg was patrolling alone when he heard a series of gunshots and saw a man firing the gun into the air.Berg says he pulled his gun and twice shouted "police, drop the weapon" before Eric Barnes, 39, obeyed. He now faces firearms violations and reckless endangerment charges. An 8-year Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, Berg says he was just following training procedures.The anti-police protests we've been seeing in recent weeks are shameful. Can you imagine the fear, panic, death and destruction a man with an assault weapon could bring inside a crowded mall days before Christmas?We're fortunate to have Carnegie heroes like Bernard Kozen around and trained officers like Kollin Berg watching our backs 24/7.By JIM ZBICKtneditor@tnonline.com