This week on Coney Island, even the smoke and flames couldn’t stop two NYPD officials from rescuing two men and their Labradoodles from a fierce fire.
The officers, who are part of a new quality of life team, were on patrol on August 10 when they spotted smoke rising from West 36th Avenue, close to Canal Avenue.
Guided by neighbors, they found a single-family home ablaze and accessed the backyard, where a large flame was consuming the wall, as shown in the footage.
Officer Andy Guo recounted, “We could see the fire raging behind the house.”
Chris de Ciola, another officer, noted, “We didn’t have time to wait for the fire department. I could hear a dog barking. I had to go in as quickly as I could. Flames were rising behind me.”
Both officers, Brooklyn natives who graduated from the Police Academy together in 2016, made attempts to break through a sliding glass door at the rear of the house.
Inside, a golden Labradoodle named Sea Biscuit barked loudly, prompting its owner to wake up.
The video shows Guo smashing the glass with a pole and then pushing forward with his partner.
“I had to get inside. My mind and body just went on autopilot. I didn’t even think about the dangers.”
Upon entering, they found two men who were asleep and quickly got them out of the home.
“They didn’t realize the house was on fire,” Guo remarked. “If we had waited, who knows what could’ve happened?”
Both men were unharmed, and the officers, however, dealt with smoke inhalation. Guo suffered a cut from the glass door.
“I had some cuts on my arm, but I didn’t even notice I was hurt,” he said.
De Ciola, 31, who joined the NYPD because of the September 11 attacks, expressed his dedication, saying, “Even though things were different back then, I felt compelled to protect my city after those tragic events.”
Guo echoed that sentiment, saying he just wanted to contribute to the community he grew up in. “At the end of the day, I just wanted to help people,” he added. “I’ve always been a Brooklyn boy. I wanted to give back.”
