Response officers enter burning flat and save bedbound man

Response officers forced their way into a burning flat and saved a severely bed-bound resident.

PC Jak Walker and PC Aaron Mulcahy heard a man shouting from an upstairs flat near Radford Road on Thursday 7 November, just after 6.30pm.

When they started to smell smoke, they forced entry into the address, and climbed upstairs to be met by flames.

A bedroom table was on fire next to where a man, in his 60s, was resting.

They used buckets of water to put out the flames and then ventilated the property as the man could not be moved due to his disability.

The fire service then arrived and ensured the property was safe.

The cause of the fire was a cigarette.

Sergeant Dean Reynolds, based at Radford Road Police Station, said:

“If it wasn’t for the quick-thinking actions of these two police officers there is no doubt that the man would have died.

“There was a significant amount of smoke as the officers entered the property and the fire was located close to the bed where the man was resting.

“If it hadn’t been put out quickly it would have spread to both the bed and the curtains and would have had catastrophic results.

“After the fire had been put out, and realising the man could not be removed from the property, they then took immediate steps to save the man’s life from smoke inhalation before the fire service and paramedics arrived.

“The man was transported to Queen’s Medical Centre and suffered no serious injuries as result of these two officers’ immediate actions.”

Chief Inspector Anwaar Ahmed, who is responsible for the city response officers, added:

“Both officers have used courage and bravery by entering an address into what was an unknown situation to save a resident from a fire.

“They put their lives on the line to ensure the fire was handled and that the man was rescued and sent to hospital after significant smoke inhalation.

“Without their amazing efforts, this situation could have resulted in the man losing his life.”