This morning’s tragic house fire could have been worse if it weren’t for the efforts of two Emporia police officers.
A structure fire claimed the life of an Emporia resident early this morning at 603 Valley Drive. The Emporia Fire Department got the call this morning at 1:39 a.m. There were five people living in the home, which was occupied by Auspision LLC, a provider of residential and day services affiliated with Hetlinger Developmental Services.
Three people got out of the house on their own. A fourth person was rescued by Police Officers Kelly Davis and Tanner Monhollon. Officer Kevin Shireman went into help clear teh building.
Emporia Police Chief Gary Smith, who began his job earlier this month, said this morning that the officers’ rescue efforts didn’t surprise him.
“Based on my experience here, it runs consistent with what I’ve seen here,” he said. “I’m proud of them. They used reasonable judgment in getting people out. They saved lives.”
Smith said it’s a difficult call when police officers come up to a scene such as the one this morning.
“We don’t have the breathing apparatus,” he said. “Sometimes we can’t do anything ... It doesn’t help anybody if you become a victim.”
But in this morning’s incident, there was something the officers could do. And their actions saved lives.
“They didn’t get hurt,” Smith said. “They got people out. They used good judgment.”
This isn’t the first time personnel from Smith’s department have saved lives. Officers Todd Ayer and David Holmes and Lt. Larry Adams rescued two boys from the icy pond Dec. 26 at Peter Pan Park.
Holmes talked this morning about the rescue. He said he and Ayer arrived on scene first, responding to a call of two kids on the ice. He said when they got there, there was one boy standing on the ice near another boy who had fallen through into the water and was hanging onto the ice.
Holmes said officers were called after the first child ran to a neighbor for help.
“That speaks highly of the friend who ran to the neighbor’s and got help,” he said.
The first child was called off the ice, Holmes said. Two rescue ropes were tied together to rescue the second child. Holmes said Ayer scooted out onto the ice to throw the rope out to the second child. Once the child had the rope, he was pulled to safety. Adams arrived on scene after the initial response and assisted in pulling the child off the ice.
Holmes said the officers reacted like they were trained to do.
“Every incident is going to be different,” he said. “You react to different circumstances.”
Holmes said both children were treated and released from Newman Regional Health.
Homes, Ayer and Adams will be honored for their actions at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Emporia City Commission meeting.
letsride (anonymous) says...
Good thing the Emporia P D has good people to start the rescue procedures on their own. By the time the F D gets there & establishes their incident command, who is going to be what & other policys established for that incident, quite bit of time has normally passed. Thanks for being there P D, your appreciated
January 15, 2008 at 4:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
old_soldier (anonymous) says...
Are you tryin to say somethin?
January 15, 2008 at 4:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
slipandslide (anonymous) says...
good job!!
January 15, 2008 at 4:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
old_soldier (anonymous) says...
Allright..can't stand it anymore. First, GOOD JOB to those officers from EPD. They found an opportunity to make a quick grab and help rescue a victim. I'll also bet they knew they could do this safely and not become victims themselves.
Now, for mr letsride. First off, I am no longer a firefighter, strictly EMS. It seems though you are ignorant of proper procedures used nationwde by fire departments to rescue and fight fires. While en route to a fire, the FD guys already know who is going to do what. That's all taken care of in a standard operating procedure. The "command" guy usually gets there first because he doesn't have to put any gear on. When he gets there, he sees what's going on and can relay important information to the fire trucks. Often, the guy standing on the street being an observer does not know what the whole process is. Sometimes, it's best to delay firefighting and make a rescue. Sometimes, it's best to put the fire out while the vicitms remain in a relatively safe area.
I can't count the number of times I've transported "would be" rescuers who became victims because they didn't know what they were getting into. Most smoke from a fire contains cyanide gas due to all the plastics, certain other situations have other poisonous gasses present, improper equipment used in a a rescue can result in further fatalities. I know - seen it.
I am in NO WAY saying these officers did anything wrong..matter of fact, I applaud them for their dedication and bravery. They are often on scene first because they are on patrol, where the FD is stationed in a house or performing the other myriad of duties they are required to do. (yes even at 3 AM). But don't be publicy "dissing" the EFD because they are performing what is considered a national standard for fire and rescue procedures.
An orderly, PREPARED and PROPERLY EQUIPPED rescue team will save more lives that way.
Once again..GOOD JOB EMPORIA PD AND EMPORIA FIRE!
January 15, 2008 at 4:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
smith_ron (anonymous) says...
Old soldier nailed it. While the police officers performed a heroic act, they put themselves at great risk because they are not outfitted for rescue. Leave it to the men and women with the protective gear. Otherwise, what was a tragedy for one could have easily been a tragedy for three.
Think of it this way...if it were a domestic situation involving a firearm, would the ill-prepared fire department go in first to disfuse the situation, or would they wait for the police?
January 15, 2008 at 5:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hartford (anonymous) says...
old_soldie: I didn't take what letsride said they same way you did. Did he mean that? Well I am not sure. In this case, the police did well. If if wasn't for them there might have been more deaths. I think that is all that was said. Someone said the police went in because they new their risk danger was low, well maybe so. I am just glad they went in.
January 15, 2008 at 5:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
anonomom (anonymous) says...
Great Job EPD officers! We are proud of you, and thankful for your service.
January 15, 2008 at 6:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Bow_Tie_Pride (anonymous) says...
Police officers are trained to analyze every situation in order to not put themselves or others in danger. They are usually first to the scene and do not have the luxury of "staging" until the scene is safe, they are the ones who try to make the scene safe. In this situation everything turned out fine and I am sure the officers will analyze the next scenerio they come upon just as did for this one. It is easy to sit back and second guess situations when you have time to think about the what ifs. These officers had seconds (at most). I'm sure the families of the victim removed from the fire would thank Officers Monhollon and Davis.
January 15, 2008 at 9:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
truelovecharlie (anonymous) says...
Lt. Larry Adams has been a longstanding huge asset to the city of Emporia. I remember when he first started on the police department and was attending college to be a physical education teacher. Emporia won big when he chose law enforcement over teaching. He has ricked his life many times over the years to rescue victims and apprehend criminals.
January 15, 2008 at 10:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
slipandslide (anonymous) says...
i re read letsride, and i think he basically condensed what old soldier said, the pd is able to get there sooner, chances are one of them was already driving around near by, i dont think hes/she is trying to knock the efd. as far as im concerned, we have the best fire dept, i watched them when my home burned down, it was a loss before they got there but they sure took after the fire like it was their own place. i bet there are some very grateful people after being saved
January 15, 2008 at 10:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
disgruntledcitizen (anonymous) says...
First off, Great job to the EPD officers. It takes a lot of guts and a different kind of person to run into a burning building to save anothers life. Someone you don't even know. So thank you and I commend you for your bravery. Yet as old soldier said, this very easily could have been a headline with 3 dead instead of just one. There are so many factors and variables that could go wrong inside of a burning building and even if you are trained to the extent of a firefighter you can't predict anything that will happen, especially if the fire is burning to the extent it was. So congrats on the save but also remember to check for safety on every scenario you get put in. Also it sounded like the ice rescue save earlier in the month could have had a tragic ending. If that ice breaks it is so freezing that it makes it hard to move and with all the extra things that a police officer has to wear including a bullet proof vest "if worn" it can be very hard to swim to get out. Just remember, at the end of the day safety and life preservation comes first. So be safe and once again great job on the save, I hope you get awarded for your duty to the city.
January 15, 2008 at 11:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dhcc66 (anonymous) says...
let me just say this. it's easy to sit back and second guess and armchair quarterback somebody who is in the public eye. why can't we just say thanks and move on?
the police officers and fire fighters of emporia are hard working proud people who put others lives before theirs. as tragic as it may seem that one of them may lose his or her life trying to save one of us citizens, that is part of their job.
thank you very much for doing what you do.
January 15, 2008 at 11:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Redneck (anonymous) says...
I wonder if "the complainer's" here are some of the same people who when something goes wrong in our town, gets in the way and asks the pro's "Are you going to do anything?"????
Our guys are are trained professionals and act as they are trained to do. I, myself have been "the victim" before, not long ago and they knew exactly what to do and when to do it.
Job well done EPD & EFD!!!
January 16, 2008 at 6:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Cliffy (anonymous) says...
Well, as usual somone finds something negative to say about almost everything. The Police Officers did thier jobs and so did the Firemen. All for a wage that would make a Dolly Madison worker go on strike. Thier health insurance is almost non-existant and talk about work conditions! Even in the firehouse they fight mold. They live in conditions the Emporia housing people would point and say, "Bad Landlord!" Oh wait, the City IS the landlord. Both departments fight with equipment that is outdated. Broken equipment that there is no money for repair. And still, when we call them they put all that behind and come a runnin.
They might be heros but just listen to what these gentlemen said. We just did our job. But sadly enough, it wasn't good enough to get everyone out. I wonder how far a $70,000 study would go to increase the wage base a little bit for these men and women. Let's spend some more mony "studying" whether we need to fix our fire station. Man, that's what we pay the City Manager, Assistant City Manager The Police and Fire Chief, and the commissioners to do...study things. Right there is $300,000 worth of wages to "study" stuff!
Well, I will sleep soundly tonight knowing the Police and Firemen are out there available. I alway have!
January 17, 2008 at 9:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )