08-24-15 Regular Meeting of La Porte City Council

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Employees of the 2nd Quarter 2015 Sgt. Cameron Briscoe & Officer Michael Harness On the 24t" day of May 2015 at approximately 04:09hrs, Officer Michael Harness was dispatched to a structure fire at 11001 Dogwood Ct with victims reported to be trapped. With the Fire department in route, Officer Michael Harness and Sgt. Cameron Briscoe responded to scene. Sgt. Briscoe was the first to arrive to a large column of smoke seen for blocks. Sgt. Briscoe pulled up to the large two story residence that had heavy fire blazing from the second story. Sgt. Briscoe was advised by neighbors and family of two children still inside the burning residence. Sgt. Briscoe without regard to his own personal safety, entered the burning residence and made his way up the stairs through heavy smoke and super -heated gasses. Sgt. Briscoe became physically overcome by the heat and was unable to breathe. Sgt. Briscoe was forced to retreat. Officer Harness arrived and was pointed by neighbors to the bedroom window that the two children were in on the second story of the burning residence. Officer Harness without regard to his own personal safety climbed up a ladder that the neighbors had placed up to that window. Officer Harness then used his baton to break the glass on the second story bedroom window. With large pieces of glass falling and flames now burning through the roof just above, Officer Harness continued to attempt access to that bedroom to save those children. Once the window was breached, heavy smoke and superheated gasses engulfed Officer Harness. Officer Harness lost his balance starting to fall off the ladder as he could not breathe. Officer Harness was pulled from the ladder and dragged to EMS personnel for treatment. La Porte EMS treated both Sgt. Briscoe and Officer Harness for smoke inhalation. After treatment, Briscoe and Harness continued their duty and remained to the completion of this tragic fire. Despite the attempts to save two children, they both perished in the fire. But the courage and heroic acts by Briscoe and Harness need not go unrecognized. I am very pleased to recognize Sgt. Cameron Briscoe and Officer Michael Harness as Employee of the Quarter for demonstrating exceptional courage in an extremely dangerous situation with great risk of life or serious bodily injury.