Five-year-old Hunter and 4-month-old Thalea are alive now and barking about it thanks to the fast response of the police officers when a house fire was reported on Alden Street on Tuesday around 2:25 p.m.
Sgt. Neil Falco and officers Andrew Kipp and Jared Frum, all dog owners themselves, were first at the scene along with Meadville Fire Chief Evan Hasko. The officers had been patrolling when the call came in and the Meadville police dispatcher reported to them that there were dogs inside the duplex at 699-701 Alden.
Hasko loosened the front door, Frum kicked it in and the four entered the building as smoke was coming from the attic.
Falco made it to the top of the stairs to the second floor but was driven back by heavy smoke and intense heat. Hasko and the other officers quickly checked the house for any people and then went in search of the dogs.
The dogs were found on the first floor. One was a bit shy, hiding behind a couch until an officer moved the couch, but "They were as happy to see us as we were to see them," Falco said. "Luckily these dogs were friendly."
It is up to each officer to determine how long he or she can safely search for a pet in a situation like Tuesday's and what to do if the pet is evasive or shows aggression, Falco said. In this case, the two dogs were eager to go.
Falco said responding when fire strikes is just a small part of an officer's job, but helping in a situation like this "is particularly rewarding."
Reflecting on current events across the country, Falco said, "Lately we (police officers in general) are not seen in the glory light of things," and he said he hopes efforts like one he, Kipp and Frum made will help people have a fuller perspective.
The fire's cause is not suspicious, but Hasko and the Pennsylvania State Police fire marshal will continue to investigate, according to Capt. Patrick Wiley of Meadville Central Fire Department. Wiley also said he is unsure how the fire started.
The home is owned by Donald Erdley of Meadville. It is insured, but the damage estimate is not known at this time.
All of the home's occupants made it out of the home and there were no injuries to the occupants. The occupants were being helped with temporary housing by the American Red Cross.
Two unnamed firemen sustained minor injuries, Wiley said, but they weren't hospitalized.
West Mead 1, West Mead 2, Vernon Central and Saegertown volunteer fire departments were called to the scene in addition to Meadville Central. Vernon Township Volunteer Fire Department was on standby. Also on scene were Meadville Area Ambulance Service, Meadville Police Department and Auxiliary Police.
The officers' quick response is a godsend to Jessica Langham and her three children, who consider Hunter and Thalea as important as the human members of their family.
The kids, who range from 10 to 15, were away from the home when the fire broke out, as was Langham.
Langham got a call from the police shortly after the fire broke out around 2:15 p.m., immediately expressed to the police concern for the dogs and then rushed home.
"They are all heroic," Langham said of the officers. "I appreciate everything they are doing."
So do Hunter and Thalea, in their way. As the humans at the fire scene stood watching firefighters douse the flames that left a gaping hole in the roof of the home, the two dogs barked, panted and sniffed, apparently excited just to be alive.
(The Meadville Tribune - July 21, 2016)
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