Man Who Rescued Dog From Fire Says He'll Fight Charges Against Him

NewsChannel 5 ^

[Brian S]

Some people said a West Nashville man a hero after he rescued his dog, but police and fire officials called his actions dangerous.

Jarrod Martin rushed past police lines to rescue his dog from his burning apartment during a fire at the Premiere West apartments.

Martin broke the window of his apartment, hoisted his bulldog, Bishop, over the apartment’s balcony and then jumped to the ground.

"I love that dog and I've raised him up and I wasn't going to sit there and watch him burn to death when I knew I had a chance to get him," Martin said.

Fire and police officials said Martin made a dangerous decision.

Before the rescue, Martin was told the dog could not be rescued at that exact moment because it was too dangerous, police spokesman Don Aaron said.

Fire officials said a rescue was eventually going to be made, but Martin said he couldn't wait.

"The gentleman actually created a very dangerous situation, not only for himself but also for our firefighters," fire chief Kim Lawson said.

Martin was not taken to jail. He was given misdemeanor citations for disorderly conduct and reckless endangerment.

Martin said he plans to fight the charges in court.

[Revolting cat!]

Dogs are people too!

[Poohbah]

It's his life; if he wants to risk it that's his right. The firefighters don't need to risk their lives saving him if something happens in a situation like this.

Thank you for your ignorant comment re: firefighters.

[kaylar]

Agree wholeheartedly. And I'd rescue my 3 dogs (combined weight 24 lbs) too.

[Brian S]

Thanks for writing that up. It's exactly the way I saw it also!

Any fireman worth his salt would have done the same thing the guy did. Of course THAT would probably have violated union rules or something.

[netmilsmom]

Someone needs to lighten up a bit. If one of the firefighters had saved the dog, it would be all over the news. Looks like these guys are a little upset they missed their photo op!

[Poohbah]

That might be the policy, and even if it weren't I'll bet some firefighters would go in anyway, but the guy still shouldn't be punnished for risking his own life. That's almost like saying he doesn't own his own life; instead it's community property.

He wasn't just risking his own life--that's the point.

[BSunday]

Man Who Rescued Dog From Fire Says He'll Fight Charges Against Him

So, what's the dog charged with? (Ba-dump-bump)

[gridlock]

The Fire Department will not put a Fireman at risk to rescue a pet, nor should they. In the balance of things, the life of the dog does not matter a whit. In the eyes of the state, the dog is property, nothing more.

[Irene Adler]

"The guy had a second-floor apartment, and from a vantage point he could see his dog inside, clawing at the sliding glass balcony door as the flames advanced toward Bishop, the 1-year-old Terrier. So he climbed up to the balcony, over the wood railing, smashed the sliding glass door and grabbed his 4-footed buddy."

I couldn't BEAR to watch my dogs burn up behind a glass door with no one doing anything to save them. I hope I would be as quick thinking and acting as this guy, though I am now in my fifties and out of shape. I admire him.

[Revolting cat!]

I say throw the book at him for interfering with a government sponsored festivities!

[Young Werther]

tennessee = antidog state AND tennessee = antigore state

A Sillygism?

[Brian S]

Speaking of photos, found one:

GEORGE WALKER IV / STAFF
Jarrod Martin, his dog, Bishop, and daughter, Laura, 4, are staying with friends, along with the rest of their family, after a fire destroyed their apartment at Premier West Apartments.

[Wright is right!]

""The gentleman actually created a very dangerous situation, not only for himself but also for our firefighters," fire chief Kim Lawson said."

Interim Chief Lawson generally gets good marks, but this statement is simply not true. The man was NOT going to ENTER the apartment. He was going up on the balcony to let his dog OUT. The smoke-eaters knew he wasn't going to try to enter the building, so no one would have placed in the peril of trying to then go in and save HIM. So the smoke-eaters weren't in any further danger. Frankly, they weren't in ANY danger at all, since they were fighting the fire from the ground and their vehicles.

Is there no one left in America who will simply say, "We goofed." Public figgers in the country seem to be completely incapable of admitting that they could have done better.

Michael

[unixfox]

Fire and police officials said Martin made a dangerous decision.

So...I guess "their" jobs aren't dangerous?

What a bunch of losers.

[waterstraat]

Obviously, this guy was not a parent, brother, uncle, aunt, grandparent of a child in the Columbine massacre.

If anybody had shown any sense of protection towards their kids in Columbine as this guy shows towards his dog, not as many would have been killed there.

As far as dogs go: a persons dog is his, and it is up to him to save it, or kill it. A fireman should not stop me from doing either.

[GovernmentShrinker]

The firefighters should not be obligated to rescue him, if they told him he shouldn't go in and he went in anyway. It's high time our legal system started treating adults as adults.

[Wright is right!]

"He wasn't just risking his own life--that's the point."

He wasn't risking anyone's skin but his. All he was doing was letting the dog OUT. He wasn't going IN. And all the firefighters were on the ground. None of them were at risk. Nor WOULD they be with the dog owner on the balcony. He made his intentions clear - he was going to FREE the dog.

Michael

[kaylar]

I've heard of at least one case where a dog started a fire...He was playing with matches. Just kidding...he chewed up some Christmas packages, and then the wire for the Christmas lights on the trees. The tree lights were on, and a spark caught on one of the paper shreddings. Whole house went up, and the fire threatened adjacent houses, but the fire was put under control in time to save them.

The dog was rescued , and because his barking frenzy alerted neighbors and got them to call the FD, the dog was named a canine hero...Before an investigator checked out the blaze and figured out what had caused the fire!

I think it's his human's fault for leaving the electric lights on the tree lit while they were out.

(Saw this on a Discovery Channel special on dogs a few years ago. It may have been called "The Wolf in your Living Room". Think it was an Australian production.)