Officer

California Highway Patrol

8/30/2019

Special Act Award (Gold)

On August 30, 2019, at approximately 2:16 p.m., California Highway Patrol Officer Aaron Maurer was driving his patrol vehicle to a local school to attend a bicycle helmet safety workshop. A Ridgecrest Police Officer was traveling in a separate patrol vehicle to the same safety workshop. On the way there, both officers observed a large plume of black smoke coming from a nearby residence and stopped to investigate the situation. As they neared the residence, they called out asking if anyone was inside. They both heard a muffled voice coming from inside the residence, pleading for help. The officers ran to the front door but could not open the locked door. Officer Maurer used his baton to break a window in the door to try and gain access to the residence but was unsuccessful. Two Ridgecrest residents also stopped to assist the officers. One of the residents successfully kicked the door open and was immediately met with thick black smoke and intense heat. Officer Maurer got down on his hands and knees and entered the house. With less than twelve inches of visibility, he crawled toward the occupant’s voice but was overcome by the thick smoke and had to quickly exit the residence for fresh air. Officer Maurer reentered the residence on his hands and knees and was able to see the occupant’s white socks and the wheel of his wheelchair approximately six feet inside the residence. Officer Maurer, a Ridgecrest Police Officer, and the two Ridgecrest residents entered the residence to find the occupant, a middle-aged man who was confined to an electric wheelchair and unable to move. They tried to push the wheelchair toward the exit, but they were unable to move it due to its weight. Officer Maurer and two others tried to pull the man out of the wheelchair, but they quickly realized the man was bound to the wheelchair with a seat belt. They worked collectively and placed the wheelchair on its side so the man could breathe a little easier. One of the Ridgecrest residents used a pocketknife to cut the seat belt and all three of them dragged the man out of the residence, saving his life. The other Ridgecrest resident located the man’s roommate inside the residence and rescued her from the burning house. Within a few minutes, the entire house was engulfed in flames. Both victims were transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation and further medical treatment. With no regard for his own safety, Officer Maurer went above and beyond the call of duty. The State of California takes great pride in presenting the Gold Medal of Valor to California Highway Patrol Officer Aaron Maurer.