NYPD officers praised for heroic rescue of elderly residents from Chinatown fire
December 27, 2023
Four New York Police Department (NYPD) officers in Manhattan are being praised for rescuing three elderly residents from a fire that broke out near their precinct in Chinatown.
What happened: Officers from the 5th Precinct sprang into action a week ago when the fire erupted from a six-story apartment building in Elizabeth Street. Officers William Finan, Rodney Rosado, Jeremy Banfield and Sgt. William Dottavio jumped into action, entering the building as the smoke intensified.
“I remember very specifically a guy walked up to me and said, ‘Mommy Mommy—6th floor’ and at that point I knew we had to get up there,” Banfield, a 16-year veteran officer, told Fox 5.
“We immediately looked at each other, really didn’t have any verbal communication,” Finan, a 19-year veteran of the force, told CBS News.
The rescue: The NYPD officers rescued an elderly man on the fourth floor before discovering more residents trapped as smoke spread. Realizing the urgency, they employed a buddy system to carry a 99-year-old woman, a 96-year-old man and a 91-year-old man down the stairs to waiting EMS crews.
“At the time, there really isn’t any fear,” Sgt. Dottavio said. “It’s just like, I gotta get to work. I gotta help. I gotta do whatever I can, you know, because some people’s lives are at risk.”
Reflecting on the incident just a week before Christmas, the officers expressed relief and emphasized their commitment to helping others.
“After you’re done and after you get everybody out of there, and you do see that the holidays are here, then you start thinking, ‘Wow, this could’ve been totally different,’” Rosado said.
Other key details: All three residents, who initially refused medical attention, are expected to be OK. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
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