Officer

California Highway Patrol

4/3/1995

Special Act Award (Gold)

On April 3, 1995, at 1:00 am, off duty Officer Bradley was awakened by the sound of a residential fire alarm. Officer Bradley went to the front of his residence and noticed the occupied residence across the street was engulfed in flames. He instructed his spouse to call the fire department and clad only in a T-shirt and shorts, ran outside to the burning structure. Unable to gain entry at the front of the house due to the flames and intense heat, he ran to a rear bedroom and yelled to the occupant of the house. One of the residents came to a small bedroom window eight feet above ground, but she was unable to open the window. Officer Bradley broke one of the glass panes and pulled her to safety. Officer Bradley, aware that there was another occupant in the residence, yelled for the other to come to the window. The occupant came to the window but passed out. Officer Bradley was able to grab his arm and attempted to pull him through the window, but could only support him over the dresser under the window which enabled the occupant to breathe some fresh air. Heavy smoke was pouring out of the window and the heat was becoming unbearable. Officer Bradley attempted to remove the citizen through the window, however was unable to do so because of the citizen’s large physique and the lack of leverage from his location below the high window. When Deputy Keith Kleinman from San Bernardino County arrived, he and Officer Bradley held the occupant’s head near the window away from the intense heat and smoke. The Big Bear Lake Fire Department arrived and firefighters were able to push the resident through the window. Officer Bradley and Deputy Kleinman assisted him through the window from the outside. Both rescuers sustained extensive smoke inhalation. Unfortunately, the occupant succumbed to his injuries on April 19.