On May 18, at around 8:51 p.m., East Syracuse police officers Dale Barhite and Robert Wolfe responded to a fire call at 210 McCool Ave.
The officers arrived on the scene before members of the fire department, said Chief Donald Morris in an email. Upon pulling up to the apartment complex, the officers observed flames coming from a second floor window, as well as smoke rising through the roof.
“Officer Barhite retrieved his fire extinguisher from the patrol vehicle and ran to the house. He was met by the female owner of the house who advised her that her 54-year-old son was still in the house on the second floor, where the fire was,” Morris said.
The officers ran up the stairs and entered the apartment, which Morris said was engulfed in flames and smoke. Both officers were unable to see or breathe due to the amount of smoke in the apartment, Morris said, and were pushed back into the stairwell.
Upon hearing the 54-year-old victim yelling for help, the officers reentered the apartment, located the man and removed him from the complex, Morris said.
“Mayor [Danny] Liedka was on scene and advised that the quick response by the officers saved the 54-year-old resident’s life,” Morris said.
