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SCPD Officers Save Four Residents Trapped in Burning Building

Written by Joe Randazzo  |  06. December 2013

Suffolk County Police Officers jumped to the aide of four residents trapped in a burning building early this morning. The incident took place at around 3:12 a.m. at the John Thomas Inne in Brightwaters. The building is comprised of a restaurant, bar, and six apartments.
 
When Third Precinct Officer Kevin Scheibe noticed smoke coming from the Inne, he called for help. Responding to his call were officers Joseph Tassa, and Edward Swensen. Their first attempt to enter the building was met with failure as the doors were locked and the flames became more intense.
 
Officer Tassa thought quickly and ran to his vehicle just so he could press on the horn to get the attention of everyone inside. A man finally responded to his call and he let the officers in. They finally made then their way to the second floor and fought through heavy smoke to help the three residents inside escape. 
 
Nobody was seriously injured during the fire and only one person was treated for smoke inhalation. Officers, Tassa, Scheibe, and Swensen were also uninjured. The Arson Squad detectives are still investigating the fire as authorities are still unsure how it started. 
 
A similar incident where Suffolk County Police sprung to the aide of those trapped in a fire happened in mid-November. The difference was, Officer Christopher Germano was left to save a home’s residents by himself. In this particular blaze Germano saved several adults, teenagers, and young children caught inside the Bay Shore home. By the time he got there the entire second floor was already engulfed in flames. He quickly obtained a ladder from a neighboring home, and selflessly scaled it to enter the home, and rescue the residents that were trapped inside.
 
At one point Germano had to obtain a knife from the kitchen just to cut down a ladder so he could make his way to the second floor. Once up there he saved a 35-year-old woman and her 12-year-old son.
 
The Brentwood Fire Department eventually arrived to extinguish the fire after Officer Germano rescued the last of the residents inside. 
 
[Source: Suffolk County Police Department]

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