NORTH SMITHFIELD – The North Smithfield Police Department publicly recognize and thanked a dispatcher for his quick actions during a house fire last week and the rescue of one victim’s pets from the second floor of the home.
Dispatcher Glen Perron was reportedly working a detail in the area when a fire began at 67 Woonsocket Hill Road on Friday, August 26. Perron began “acting immediately,” prior to arrival of emergency personnel, according to Chief Tim Lafferty.
“After clearing road closure apparatus and advising the construction crew that they needed to shut down for emergency equipment, he responded on foot to the residence,” noted a release from the department on Thursday, Sept. 1.
Perron arrived at the residence and conducted an interior check to ensure no one was still inside the home, according to Lafferty. After returning back outside he heard yelling and responded back into the home to conduct another check.
The dispatcher then realized that the yelling was coming from people outside of the house, and learned that one resident had run back in to save rabbits.
“Dispatcher Perron followed the resident back in to encourage them to remain outside, while back inside the residence he observed the rabbit cage with rabbits inside on the second floor where the fire was active,” the release noted. “He retrieved the cage for the resident, and they all then responded outside to await emergency personnel.”
Lafferty thanked Perron for his, “critical and heroic actions.”
No residents were hurt in the fire, but one rabbit died and the blaze left a family of five homeless. A fundraiser for the victims can be found here.
