Three of Plum's finest received the borough's highest honor for their efforts last month that saved a family from a burning building.
Mayor Richard Hrivnak presented Plum Borough Police Medals of Valor to Sgt. Jay Kapusta and Officers Crystal Iachini and Eric Callen at Monday's council meeting.
“It gives me great pleasure to recognize three of our officers tonight who went well above and beyond the call of duty,” Hrivnak said. “This is the first time, in my understanding in the history of Plum, that this award has been presented.”
Police and firefighters responded to a fire on Cherrywood Drive at about 5:40 a.m. Feb. 20 and rescued two adults and five children ages 1 to 11.
“A catastrophe was avoided because of the skillful and quick response to danger and knowledge of lifesaving demonstrated by these officers,” Hrivnak said.
Callen said that when he responded, he could see two little girls in an upstairs room of the burning two-story structure. He and Kapusta entered through the front door.
“(He) and I both got blasted with dark, black, nasty smoke,” Callen said. “It knocked him back. ... I crawled in and made it about two body lengths and I find this woman's leg.”
Callen said he grabbed the woman, who was holding an infant, and safely got them out before trying to go upstairs, but he could not breathe and went outside to find another way in. He said Kapusta boosted him and Iachini onto the roof.
Callen said he was able to lower children to other emergency responders, and a firefighter also rescued one of the youths.
Callen said one resident, an elderly woman who had previously suffered a stroke, could not move, and it took teamwork to get everyone out safely.
Callen, Iachini and family members were taken to local hospitals for smoke inhalation. The Allegheny County fire marshal is investigating the fire's cause. The American Red Cross assisted the victims with food and shelter.
The three officers also received proclamations Monday from state Rep. Joseph Markosek, D-Monroeville, and state Sen. James Brewster, D-McKeesport, whose chief of staff, Tim Joyce, told them, “Every senator in Harrisburg has heard of your actions and your heroics, and we're all very proud of you.”
Callen thanked borough and state officials.
“It's not every day you get an honor like this,” Callen said. “This was more than I expected. ... I've been called a hero a couple hundred times in the last two weeks. I don't feel like a hero. I feel like any other able-bodied person. A police officer or any other able-bodied person that sees people in danger, especially two little girls, you're going to act.”
In other police matters, council voted to promote Scott Ricketts to sergeant. He has served on the borough force for at least 12 years and is a school resource officer.
Council also unanimously approved hiring Benjamin Barch as a probationary police officer pending drug, psychological and physical screenings and polygraph testing. Borough Manager Michael Thomas said Barch was hired to replace the retired Richard Kudranski, who served Plum for at least 40 years.
Barch's salary will depend on shift differentials and overtime, but Thomas said entry-level officers' earnings average $50,000 to $55,000.
Council also unanimously awarded:
• This year's paving projects to Delmont-based Tresco Paving for $1,097,013. Streets to be resurfaced are in the Edgemeade, Greendale, Willow Village and Frankstown Acres areas.
• A new garbage collection contract that runs through 2020 to Allied Waste, whose base bid was $15.07 a month per unit. Council can add an electronics and household hazardous waste program, which would push the price to a little more than $16 a month per unit, Thomas said. The borough has been paying Allied Waste $16.69 a month per unit.
Michael DiVittorio is a contributing writer for the Tribune-Review.
