By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
Police team dived in to rescue elderly residents…
FIVE Springvale police officers who saved elderly residents from a fast-spreading fire in a public housing village were officially commended for bravery last week.
The officers realised they had to act quickly when they arrived at the fire at Buckingham Avenue just after midnight on 2 April.
Sergeant Michael Hughes, one of the rescuers said: “One unit was totally engulfed in flames and fire had spread in the roof cavities to the adjoining units.
“We had to make a decision quickly to get people out of those units straightaway.”
The officers forced their way into smoke-filled rooms, rousing up to nine sleeping Vietnamese-born residents – many whom were confused, unaware of the blaze and didn’t understand English.
It took about 15 minutes to wake and move the elderly residents to safety.
At the time, the officers, blasted by radiant heat, were unsure whether the smouldering ceilings would collapse on them.
Sergeant Hughes said there was no thought of the danger because adrenalin had kicked in.
But he said the 15 minutes of the incident seemed like an eternity.
Superintendent Russell Barrett last week told a police awards ceremony that the officers’ “prompt action” had “saved lives in hazardous circumstances”.
Sergeant Hughes, Leading Senior Constable Alistair Clement, Senior Constable James Frost, Senior Constable Charles Ryan and Constable Vanessa Caust were commended for their “courageous performance”.
The unheralded hero was the speed camera operator, who first reported the fire less than 100 metres from the back of Springvale police station.
But the enduring sad note was that the officers were unable to save 80-year-old grandmother Ann Tran.
The fire had started in her unit, which was consumed by flames by the time police arrived.
For the group, it was nice to be appreciated but Sen Const Frost summed up the solemnity upon accepting the award.
“I feel sorry for that lady who passed away,” he said.
“It’s a shame.”
Senior Constable Amy Perrin of Dandenong CIU was commended for a separate incident – securing a conviction on behalf of a seriously injured victim who was “physically incapable” of giving evidence in court.
She was said to have showed “exemplary service” by taking down a detailed account of the victim’s story in October 2012 and giving evidence under an “unwavering” cross-examination over a lengthy court trial.
Superintendent Barrett said it was the first time he’d heard of a successful conviction in such circumstances.
Dandenong detectives Senior Sergeant Martin O’Brien and Sergeant Dean Hayes also received letters of appreciation for their rapid response to a car crashing into a parked divisional van outside the station in March.
The pair, on their way to work, were the first on scene – assisting the car’s occupants despite the “unpredictable” risk of a fire igniting.
