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The heroic rescue went down on the morning of Sunday, May 1.
Officer David McAndrew was on his way to begin a 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. patrol shift when he saw a home up in flames on Mount Hope Avenue.
“Without hesitation, he stopped his vehicle and forced open the front door to help four trapped residents flee the burning home,” reads a post from the township’s Facebook account.
Meanwhile, a second group of officers ready to start their shift — Sgt. Matthew Tanis and Ptl. Officers Kevin Shay, Lisandro Peralta, Donald Reddin, and Robert Parks, were called to the scene of the growing fire and told that one victim was still trapped inside.
The officers first tried to enter the front door but were met with a blaze too hot to handle, prompting them to think of a backup plan — and fast.
Officer Shay grabbed a neighbor’s ladder and rescued the man trapped in a second-floor bedroom “while the other officers calmly reassured him,” the post says. The group then retreated to safety.
Several neighboring fire departments also assisted in dousing the blaze. Once extinguished, the the RTPD’s Detective Bureau, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Arson Unit, and the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit investigated the scene.
“The swift actions of these brave police officers spared the lives of five trapped residents from a horrific death,” says the post. “Sgt. Matthew Tanis, Ptl. Officers David McAndrew, Kevin Shay, Lisandro Peralta, Donald Reddin, and Robert Parks exemplified the highest traditions of law enforcement through their selfless actions and devotion to duty, bringing honor to their department and themselves, and we are grateful for their service.”
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