New cop’s star turn
Jackson Township officer pulls
man from burning home
He thought pulling people from burning
buildings was all in a day’s work.
But as Police Officer Anthony Riso learned,
his
decisive actions on the scene of a Nov. 11,
r
lo
Va DS
AWAR
2014 structure fire were kind of distinctive.
Exceptional even.
“When we showed up, we heard there was
a disabled man in the house,” Riso recounted,
explaining the homeowner’s wheelchair-bound husband remained
trapped inside the home.
“I’m a volunteer firefighter in town. I pulled out the window and
expected to find an old man,” Riso said. “(I) found a rather large man
and realized I wouldn’t be able to move him.”
He’d been on the police force less than a year, but Riso had been
a firefighter for more than eight years and knew someone had to
step in.
“Something needs to be done or else someone is going to die,” he
recalled telling himself. “We just kind of go into overdrive and do
what we’re trained to do. I kind of just did. I didn’t think.”
Despite not wearing protective gear, Riso entered the building.
“I started to choke on the smoke bad,” he added. “I couldn’t
breathe. I started to retreat and when I got out the window, a fire
chief was putting on his gear, so I asked where the air packs are. I ran
•
LIFESAVING AWARD
OFFICER ANTHONY RISO
JACKSON TOWNSHIP LOCAL 168
to the neighbors’ driveway and grabbed (one).”
Riso and the fire chief then returned to the burning house.
“(We) were able to drag the guy through the window,” Riso continued. “There was a pug running around, so I gave the pug to another officer … and as soon as I got out someone (said), ‘There’s another
dog inside,’ so I went back and got the dog.”
Riso’s turn as lifesaver came during a challenging period.
“It was a weird week – I had a suicidal man come at me with two
knives. It was a lot to take in a week’s time, especially only being a cop
for a few months.”
Despite the recognition, Riso is humble, citing other officers he
feels have responded to more demanding incidents. He seems surprised by the attention.
“I didn’t expect any of this – the awards, to be recognized,” he confided. “I kind of figured that’s what you do as a cop.”d
Edmond P. Brady, CPA – Partner
[email protected]
Obtain reinstatement of revoked IRS
•
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•
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Responsible for more than 300 PBA’s in
New Jersey and New York
Licensed in NJ, NY and Mass.
Livingston, NJ • New York, NY
Phone (973) 535-2880 • www.odpkf.com
www.njcopsmagazine.com
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