When an Officer signs up for the job, he or she knows that it is a thankless job.  In addition, a Police Officer knows that there will come times that certain risks would have to be taken that could put their own lives in danger to save another person’s life.   For this reason, Police Officers are highly trained and ready to meet danger face to face with courage, bravery and valor.

My partner and I had stopped to check out an abandoned car when all of a sudden a man came running around the corner yelling, “Police…The building in on fire!” We looked and could see that over on the next street was billowing clouds of black smoke rising into the sky.  We ran on foot around the corner and saw an apartment complex with most of the top floor on fire.  “Dispatch, we have a structure fire and are requesting the Fire Department to respond to our location,” I announced over the Police radio. 

I had been to this apartment complex many times before on various other types of calls.  The building is an unassisted living complex for people with emotional disabilities but who are able to live on their own with only a counselor coming in certain days and hours.

“Time to be a hero,” I shouted to my partner as we ran to get to the building.  He was new on the job and on probation so as his training Officer, I wanted to give him some fighting encouragement.  “Kick open that door,” I ordered him, “come on… we have to get inside to help get those people out.”   I could see through the locked screen security door a few people upstairs wandering around in thick smoke with their hands out in front of them confused and lost.  “BANG!” my partner kicked the door and it flew open with one kick, “some security door,” I mumbled, and inside we ran.

We had to get down and crawl on the floor due to thick black smoke that was filling up the hallways.  We started grabbing people and directing them to go downstairs and outside.  Once we had all of the people who we could see go outside, we started looking for those people we could not see and began the tedious task of kicking open twenty-six apartment doors on the top and bottom floors.  It took several minutes to make sure everyone was out of the building and safe.  Luckily, there had only been seven people upstairs and the rest were down stairs.  Everyone was unharmed.

The Fire Department arrived a few minutes later and worked on putting the fire out. Turns out one of the tenants did not want to live anymore and started the building on fire.  They considered the entire building a loss.

“Does this mean we are getting the medal of valor because we saved those people’s lives?”   My probationary partner asked proudly.  “You don’t have to wear a medal to have valor,” I explained.  “Here’s your reward,” and I handed him a stick of gum.  “Thanks, I’m honored,” he said with a chuckle.  

We never did receive recognition from the Department and no one from the complex that burnt down ever-said thank you.  “That’s OK with me,” I thought to myself, as I chewed my piece of gum.