Edinburgh police officers save man, 6 dogs from fire

Two Edinburgh Police officers and a 911 dispatcher are being called heroes for their efforts to save a man and his dogs.

Edinburgh Police Chief Doyne Little and Sgt. Roy Sturgeon together presented Officers Clayton Embry and Sean Pendleton Life Saving Awards on Wednesday.

The officers were the first at the scene of a house fire with entrapment at 407 N. Kyle St. on Sept. 5. When they arrived the house was on fire and there was heavy smoke coming from the home, which is split into two apartment units. A male renter called 911 and reported he was stuck inside. The smoke and the apartment’s layout made it tough to locate him, Little said.

The officers located the correct apartment and the trapped man with patient guidance from Johnson County 911 Dispatcher Jerrica Barnaby, who was on the phone with him. With her help, they located the 62-year-old male sitting on the couch. He was having difficulty breathing and couldn’t evacuate because he couldn’t get to his wheelchair. Officers helped him to his wheelchair chair and got him to safety out of the house with his medical supplies, Little said in a press release on the officer’s actions.

The officers also located and rescued the man’s six dogs and corralled them in a nearby vehicle with the help of a firefighter until Johnson County Animal Control arrived to bring them to the shelter for temporary housing, Little said.

Little says the officers went into the burning house without hesitation. He also said Barnaby deserves a lot of credit for her work to keep the resident calm as officers worked to find him.

Edinburgh Fire and Rescue and fire departments from nearby communities also rushed to the scene with the urgency of the entrapment situation. The officers and the firefighters together worked fast and got the best possible outcome for the man and his pets.

“Their heroic efforts that night were just incredible,” Little said.