but the are many times such as this when credit, respect and thanks must be given.
Posted on 11/26/2007 5:58:06 AM PST by SubGeniusX
As fiery debris rained down on them, two city cops rushed through a pair of Bronx homes engulfed in flames Sunday and helped rescue 12 people, including two infants.
Officers Michael Welsh and Christopher Scott kicked down doors and screamed to wake people as the blaze devoured 374 Bronx Park Ave. in West Farms.
After they emerged from the inferno, they busted into the neighboring house, which was already spewing plumes of black smoke into the air.
The cops suffered minor injuries, but no one else was hurt because of their heroic efforts while on patrol about 9:15 a.m., officials said.
"I looked at the building, and the fire was bad," said Welsh, 41.
"It was fully engulfed in flames," he said. "It was full of smoke. We just knew we had to get everyone out safely."
After breaking down doors and scouring the three-story house, the officers, both with 14 years on the job, calmly escorted seven people, including a 2-month-old, to safety.
It took less than three minutes to clear the home, the officers said. But while Scott, 37, was dashing out of the inferno, some burning material fell on him and burned his scalp.
That didn't stop him from rushing into the adjacent house, where the fast-moving fire was well on its way to destroying a second building.
"It's the last thing you expect on a Sunday morning," said Judy Ramdeen, 33, the owner of the home. "The flames were bad. I've never seen things catch on fire so quickly. The smoke was heavy, and flames were shooting everywhere."
All Ramdeen was able to grab were family pictures before she and four other people, including her 11-month-old daughter and an elderly woman, were helped to the street by the cops.
"We worked really hard for this home, and now it's gone," she said. "But I could have lost my family. Worse things could have happened."
The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the FDNY.
In addition to Scott's scalp injury, both officers suffered smoke inhalation. They were treated at St. Barnabas Hospital and released later in the day.
At the 48th Precinct stationhouse where the cops work, they modestly chalked up their bravery to just doing their jobs.
"We weren't thinking about anything," Welsh said. "We just wanted to help people get out. I'm just happy everyone got out safely."
Residents of the two buildings weren't so quick to brush off the cops' actions.
"It was very heroic of the officers," Ramdeen said. "The cops ran in, and they saved lives. They didn't have to run in, and I thank them for doing it."
but the are many times such as this when credit, respect and thanks must be given.
:-)
These guys put faith back into the system and we should give prayers of thanks that guys like this are on the job.
I wonder, does it have something to do with strong training, oversight and accountability?
These hero cops spend their lives running into danger, places the rest of us run away from.
Anyhow: well done officer!
bravo. thanks.
You take alot of crap on the “badcop” threads... (half the time I’m the one dishing)
but credit must be given when due ... so I thought you would appreciate this one ..
funny that this thread only gets 6 hits ... guess it’s because nobody was tased ...
>>Rambo-like antics of too many of America’s police<<
Many communities and counties have a police “citizen’s academy”. I’m now attending one in Colorado. I suspect your perspective would be a bit more balanced if you attended one.
Perhaps. I’m not familiar with a “citizens academy”, but I suspect it puts forward an official police perspective.
But their actions speak for themselves. And all to often those actions are extremely troubling.
Take it you are a cop. These guys are what I was taught the police are. Great to read a good article about the police.
Jack
“... guess it’s because nobody was tased ...”
Well - they did kick down doors, and presumably without a warrant..... And, isn’t it the firefighters that are supposed to do this, I imagine their Union will have something to say about all of this. ;)
I met someone who saved a person from drowning and thought to myself how amazing that is, that no matter what this person accomplished (or didn’t) in life - they will have directly saved another person and I was in awe. And here these cops saved 12 folks. Yea for them!!
that means that i realize there are bad cops out there and i am not on their team. it's just nice to see a story about this kind of thing ONCE in awhile.
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