GLOVERSVILLE, N.Y. -- Three people were rescued from inside a Gloversville apartment house that caught on fire before dawn Friday.
An officer on routine patrol around 3:30 a.m. saw flames billowing from the building.
“Her training immediately kicked in. She called in what she had and requested the resources that she needed,” said Captain Michael Scott of the Gloversville Police Department.
The dramatic moments were captured on police body cameras. By the time backup arrives, the front end of the building was fully engulfed.
A 43-year-old man made it out of the lower apartment of the Grand Street house, and two police officers helped rescue his 60-year-old mother. Jeremy Dake and his mother Dianne Dunlop were then flown by medical helicopter to a Syracuse hospital, and both are expected to make a full recovery.
The battalion chief went to the back of the home to try to get to two people trapped on the second floor. The firefighter was able to remove several items blocking their exit and help bring a 32-year-old woman and 62-year-old man to safety.
Fire investigators believe the fire was caused by overloaded electrical outlets.
Without the quick action taken by first responders, officials say the outcome could’ve been much different.
“To watch them and to see that firsthand that there was no hesitation whatsoever is pretty heroic in my eyes,” said Scott.
The Gloversville Fire Department is using this as an opportunity to remind locals not to overload power strips in their homes, to make sure their smoke detectors, and have a safe way to get out of their home in the event of a fire.