September 2001 Volume 82 Number 9
"serving the protectors"
| September 2001 Volume 82 Number 9 "serving the protectors" |
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It is not generally a police role to fight building fires and rescue victims from burning structures. In such perilous scenarios, police would normally provide assistance - such as traffic and crowd control - to trained firefighters.
But police are committed to an ideal: the protection of life and property - at practically any cost. In fact, the pursuit of that ideal forms the basis for their existence.
Our cover story, No Time for Dying, showed one officer’s resolve to place the life of another before his own. At clear risk of burns, smoke inhalation and even death, Senior Constable Bob Stewart excelled.
He freely entered a burning house to save another parent’s child - and succeeded. As much as he might prefer to play down his extraordinary effort, he was, on that day, a hero.
And the Police Journal shows that fires have been the cause of many acts of cop heroism in recent times:
- Senior Constable Paul Emery and former police officer, Peter Broadbent, jumped a man who had attempted suicide by setting himself ablaze in 1995 (Fighting Flames of Self-Destruction, Police Journal, June 2000).
- Police aide, Evelyn Riessen, saved a man from a Coober Pedy caravan fire in September 1999 (Bravery in a Lunchtime Inferno, Police Journal, September 2000). .
- Constables Richard Norris and Daryl Phillips rescued an injured baby and an offender from a Whyalla house fire in September 1999 (A Horror Movie Come to Life, Police Journal, November 2000).
In the Hollywood version of The Untouchables, Elliot Ness (Kevin Costner) had to consider - at the urging of Sean Connery’s character, Malone - what he was prepared to do to “get Capone”. The acts of these SA cops were all about what they were prepared to do to prevent death.
In the end, Ness “got” Capone, and our local police heroes saved lives.
Informed views of police work - expressed by those outside the field - are always encouraging to read. As a man long immersed in sport, Chris Dittmar revealed real understanding of not only law enforcement’s dangers but also its effects on cops.
Of course, he had the close example of his brother on which to base many of his views. But Dittmar also showed insight he had gained from observing police in action at sporting events.
Most important, however, were his concepts of employer support for police officer involvement in pro sport and police junior coaching clinics. Each would clearly benefit both the participating officers and their departments. The Dittmar concepts should be roundly endorsed.
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