State Traffic Officer

California Highway Patrol

8/23/1988

Special Act Award (Gold)

On August 23, 1988, at approximately 8:52 p.m., Officer Bernardin encountered a major injury accident involving an on-duty Seal Beach Police Department Officer. At the time of his arrival, the entire rear portion of the vehicle was consumed by fire and flames were shooting from underneath the vehicle toward the passenger door. In the face of eminent danger from an exploding gas tank, Officer Bernardin, without regard to his personal safety, approached the burning vehicle and attempted to extinguish the fire. He immediately noticed the unconscious driver slumped to the right of the driver’s seat. After emptying his fire extinguisher, Officer Bernardin made numerous attempts to reach the injured officer. On finding the driver’s door inaccessible, Officer Bernardin was able to reach the unconscious driver through the left side window, but was unable to remove him. By this time, the heat was intense and the fire was entering the vehicle and spreading rapidly. Officer Bernardin ran to the open right door, partially entered the burning vehicle, grabbed the injured man’s belt and attempted to pull him from the vehicle when the victim became tangled in the seat belt. The fire had now entered the front compartment and was becoming more dangerous with every passing moment. With people at the scene yelling at the officer and two other individuals to leave before the vehicle exploded, they managed to cut the seat belt and pull the officer to safety just moments before the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames.