An act of heroism unfolded on a residential street in Uniontown as Corporal Zachary Vernail, a Uniontown Police Department officer and volunteer firefighter, successfully rescued a woman from her burning home. The incident occurred this past Saturday evening on Evans Street and started with Vernail being the first responder. With no fire crew in sight, he took it upon himself to help the trapped woman, initially armed only with a fire extinguisher from his patrol vehicle. "I received my extinguisher from the trunk of my patrol vehicle, went into the residence to see if I could put the fire out as best as I could, and try to make my way to the female from the inside," Vernail disclosed in a CBS News Pittsburgh interview.
Upon realizing that the fire extinguisher would not suffice to quell the increasing flames quickly, Vernail decided to retrieve a ladder quickly. "I got to the top of the ladder. She was covered in soot and had severe smoke inhalation. I was just trying to talk to her, calm her down, and get her to come down the ladder with me," Vernail recounted, as detailed by CBS News Pittsburgh. His actions demonstrated his bravery and underscored the value of cross-training for first responders, as his experience as a firefighter played a crucial role in the rescue efforts.
The scene was recorded on Corporal Vernail's body camera, a poignant testament to the officer's quick thinking under dire circumstances. A statement obtained by WTAE reveals that after depleting his fire extinguisher without being able to control the fire fully, Vernail said, "So I went back outside, at which time the fire engine had arrived." He then assisted the fire crew in helping the woman move from her precarious position on the roof to safety.
Thankfully, due to Vernail's intervention, the woman and another man who had previously escaped from the house fire are alive, with the fire confirmed to have been accidental.
