2018 NJSPBA Valor Awards
Lifesaving Award
Offi cer Panagiotis Seretis
Hackensack Local 9
Offi cer rescues children
from burning house
On June 27, Hackensack Local 9 Officer Panagiotis Seretis re-
sponded to a working house fire with heavy smoke pouring from
the structure. Upon his arrival, Seretis saw a young boy running
toward him from the house, saying that his brother and sister
were still inside.
“The first and only thing I thought about was getting the kids
out,” Seretis describes. Without hesitation, he ran into the burn-
ing house and began searching for the children. Making his way
to the second floor, Seretis discovered the pair, ages 6 and 9, hid-
ing in a bedroom.
“They had closed the door and pushed a bed in front of it,” the
two-and-a-half-year veteran explains. “I told them to move the
bed and then was able to get into the room and lead them out
of the house to safety, reassuring them that they would be fine.”
The entire incident took less than five minutes.
“I became a cop to help, protect and serve,” Seretis relates.
“Here, the opportunity came up to do that. There are many terri-
ble moments you experience in this job, so it’s nice to be able to
experience a positive one like this.”
66
NEW JERSEY COPS
■ DECEMBER 2018