COPAKE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Columbia County Sheriff's Office reported that two of its deputies helped rescue people from a structure fire on August 18. The body camera footage was released on Wednesday showing the rescue efforts, as shown above.
Deputies Timothy Gladwin and Cody Falkner were on routine patrol in Hillsdale at around 2:10 a.m. when they heard over dispatch that there was a working structure fire on County Route 7A in Copake. The deputies responded immediately to the scene.
Upon arrival, the deputies found a two-story apartment building engulfed in flames on one of the bottom-floor apartments. They helped evacuate the occupants, assisting people out of a window and asking if anyone else was in the building.
One of the tenants said they believed there may still be someone in the apartment. Deputies sprung into action, moving to the upstairs apartment where they knocked but didn't receive a response.
The deputies immediately forced entry into the apartment and found a lone person sleeping in his bedroom before helping him out of the apartment and out of the building. Once they confirmed there was nobody else in the building they ensured that emergency medical service personnel treated any occupants in need of medical assistance.
The deputies also aided an elderly occupant in contacting family members to come assist her. The sheriff's office says that these deputies acted selflessly and without hesitation to assist all occupants in the apartment building to safety.
Sheriff Donald Krapf stated, "We hear about these types of incidents every day and the loss of life due to house fires. If it were not for the quick action of our two deputies, this could have been another one of those tragic events. The courageous actions of Deputy Gladwin and Deputy Falkner prevented the loss of life and injury at this structure fire. This was outstanding police work, and without a doubt, these men are heroes. They exemplify what it is to be a deputy sheriff. I am exceptionally proud to have them as members of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office."
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