Body cam shows Frankfort police officers help family escape house fire

A family of six, including a baby, can breathe easy thanks to the quick actions of three Frankfort police officers who helped them escape potential tragedy.

According to the Frankfort Police Department, three Frankfort police officers were the first to arrive to a 2 a.m. house fire call in the 800 block of Hawthorne Avenue on Monday. Officers arrived to find the house filled with heavy smoke and flames shooting out the front door.

Occupants inside the home told police that they were trapped on the second floor and couldn’t exit the home due to the fire and smoke. They also reported a baby was located inside the home and that the child was having trouble breathing.

Sergeant Andrew Snyder, Officer Freddy Martinez and Officer Madison Douglass leapt into action and found a ladder that was used to scale up to a second-story window and quickly remove the baby from the home.

After the baby was secured, the rest of the family was evacuated through the window and down the ladder.

“I am very proud of these officers for their quick, heroic actions,” said Frankfort Police Chief Scott Shoemaker. “They will be honored by the police department at a later date.”

Police reported that originally Sgt. Snyder wrote a nomination for his fellow officers Martinez and Douglass but left himself out. Captain Evan Hall reviewed the bodycam footage, however, and ended up nominated all three officers for a Medal of Valor.

“I chose to recommend the Medal of Valor due to all three officers,” stated Captain Hall. “They all showed an extraordinary act of bravery by removing a total of six occupants out to safety under extreme stress and life-threatening conditions.”