DERBY – An officer ran into a burning home to rescue a distressed woman on Derby Avenue Oct. 23.
According to a Facebook post from the department, patrolmen Jonathan Tirado and Ty Netto were dispatched after a house fire was reported at 272 Derby Ave. The building is a 10-unit apartment complex, with one streetside entrance and two floors below ground level.
Tirado and Netto, the first responders on scene, entered the burning building to make sure residents escaped safely. In bodycam footage released Nov. 5, flames and smoke can be seen billowing from the home as the officers approach.
In the footage, a woman tells Tirado that her sister was stuck on a lower floor.
“My sister’s down there,” the woman can be heard saying. “She can’t breathe.”
Tirado is then seen running down a set of stairs, where he finds the woman in a room down the hallway. He then picks her up and runs back up the stairs, while Netto instructed others to leave the home.
“The home’s on fire. Everybody needs to get out,” Netto can be heard saying.
After sitting the woman down on grass a safe distance from the fire, Tirado is then seen running back in the direction of the burning building.
“Both officers acted decisively and without hesitation, placing themselves in harm’s way to protect the lives of others. Their actions reflect the commitment, courage, and dedication that define the law enforcement profession,” the department’s Facebook post reads.
You can watch the footage by clicking the “play” button below.
After the fire, at least three GoFundMe campaigns have been set up to aid displaced residents. You can view those pages and make a contribution at the following links: