Derby officer honors rescue of woman from smoke-filled apartment
Police body camera footage reveals how Jonathan Tirado carried a resident to safety after a fire started in a 10-unit building.
By Justin Barnes ·
Derby Police Officer Jonathan Tirado received an award on Monday evening for pulling a woman from a burning apartment building on Oct. 23. The honor recognized his actions during a fire that trapped residents inside a smoke-filled 10-unit structure.
Body camera video released by the Derby Police Department shows Tirado running toward the building as flames spread. Officer Ty Netto was already inside, instructing people to evacuate. When Tirado entered the hallway, he found a mix of residents and bystanders who had stopped to assist. A woman in the group told him her sister was downstairs and could not breathe. The building was filled with thick smoke at that time.
Tirado located the trapped woman and carried her up the stairs to safety. He described the moment as a combination of instinct and training, noting that there was a job to be done. After bringing the woman across the street, he returned to the building to check if others remained inside. He encountered a wall of dark smoke when trying to re-enter. Firefighters arrived minutes after the police but could not enter through the front doors due to the heat and smoke. They extinguished the fire using a ladder pipe while Tirado and Netto directed traffic outside.
Police determined the fire likely started from an ashtray that was improperly emptied into the trash. The department is reminding residents to verify that ashes are cool before discarding them. During the private ceremony on Monday, Tirado said he was thankful that everyone escaped the building. He described the event as a team effort involving both police and fire personnel.
Tirado noted that he does not seek recognition for his work. He pointed out that hundreds, if not thousands, of officers across the nation perform similar duties without public acknowledgment. He said the award helps shine a light on the work police do.
Officer Netto remained inside the building during the initial evacuation phase. The two officers worked together to manage the scene until firefighters took the lead on extinguishing the blaze. The incident occurred last month in the city of Derby.
The police department shared the footage to document the sequence of events. Tirado's actions allowed the trapped woman to escape before conditions worsened inside the building.
