The heroism of local police officers saved the life of a borough resident and a dog after their apartment building caught on fire Tuesday night, July 17, authorities report.
On July 17, at 10:32 p.m., Bloomingdale police officers David Terpstra and Kevin Peirsel responded to the residence at 91 Main St. on a report of a fire originating in a first-floor front apartment of the building. The officers were told by a second-floor tenant who had evacuated the building that it was believed the resident of the apartment was still inside.
The officers opened a first-floor common foyer doorway and found the hallway filled with smoke, and the door to the apartment that was on fire was locked. Terpstra was able to forcibly open the apartment door and found the apartment full of smoke with a fire still burning inside.
Terpstra, with assistance from Peirsel, located the tenant, whom police identified as Gregory C. Mather, 38. He was discovered lying face-down and unconscious on the living room floor, according to a press release prepared by Bloomingdale Patrolman Marc Loveland.
Terpstra dragged Mather by his arm into the common hallway, where both he and Peirsel then worked together to pull him outside the building and onto the sidewalk. He reportedly remained unconscious and had labored breathing.
According to Terpstra, Mather's skin appeared to be reddened and burnt. The officer then rendered first aid to Mather until the arrival of Tri Boro First Aid Squad, which sent two ambulances to the scene. Bloomingdale firefighter Mike Wanklin also played a role in assisting the officers with rendering first aid and getting Mather out of the burning building.
Terpstra continued to search for victims inside a rear first-floor apartment. During his search, he forcibly removed a window air-conditioner unit from the rear apartment, and then saw through the open window that a dog was still inside the building and trapped inside a doggie crate.
Members of the Bloomingdale Volunteer Fire Department then entered through the apartment door and were able to rescue the dog.
The police then turned the scene over to the Bloomingdale Fire Department. Firefighters from Butler, Riverdale, and Pompton Lakes also rendered assistance, along with personnel from Bloomingdale's Office of Emergency Management.
The Tri Boro First Aid Squad transported Mather to St. Joseph's Hospital in Paterson for his injuries. Mather later released himself from the hospital in the early morning hours the next day, according to Loveland's release.
At this time the building is uninhabitable, according to Bloomingdale Construction Official Dan Hagberg.
Per the preliminary investigation, the fire is believed to have originated in Mather's kitchen near the kitchen stove, stated the release. Members of the Butler and Riverdale police departments provided traffic control on Main Street (Hamburg Turnpike) during the incident.
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