Two Prospect Park Police Officers Honored For Heroic Actions By Township
PROSPECT PARK, Pa. (CBS) -- Going above and beyond the call of duty. Two special honors were handed out Tuesday night to two police officers in Delaware County who are credited with saving lives.
Two Prospect Park police officers, each faced with situations that were life or death for those they were sworn to protect, stepped up, saved lives and were given their just due.
"These officers are the finest that the community has to offer and the bravery on that day should be celebrated," Mayor Jeff Harris said. "These actions are a credit to you and the entire police department of Prospect Park."
Last June, Patrolman Eric Davis and his partner entered a burning apartment complex and fought through heavy smoke to find fire extinguishers to fight the fire. They helped evacuate residents and pets. For those acts, Davis received the first bravery commendation ever awarded in the town.
"It was a great experience to get recognized for something that we do on a daily basis that we don't expect to get any recognition for," Davis said.
Eyewitness News asked Davis on Tuesday how he compartmentalizes running into a burning building, fighting what has to be a human fear of the obvious.
"You can't focus on the risks and the challenges and dangers of what's going to happen to go into that burning building," Davis said. "I know that there's that possible danger that I could never come back out, but that's not the time to think about that. I just know I have to go and save some lives and do the best I can."
Officer David Voorhees responded to the first shooting in town in nearly five years in January. He quickly applied pressure to the gunshot victim's wound and later found out that act saved the victim's life, earning him a life-saving award.
"It's a very prestigious honor as a police officer to be recognized in saving a life and I'm very honored to be here tonight," Voorhees said.
Like Davis, running toward danger is second nature for Voorhees.
"Being as someone who's called to serve and protect you realize that sometimes you have to put yourself in a dangerous situation to protect someone and that's what I had to do in that situation to save this young man's life was to risk my own safety to make sure that he was safe," Voorhees said.