2019 Letter of Recognition - Inv. Darren K. Bortmas

On April 19, 2019, E3, T3 and B2 responded to a commercial building alarm. Upon arrival, the crews discovered a fire mostly extinguished by the sprinkler, but saw water flowing down the stairway from the floors above. While looking for a shutoff, Leal and Melanephy walked up to the roof where they saw an individual and ordered him to evacuate. Investigators Bortmas and Labrado arrived on scene, interviewed Department members and building personnel and walked onto the roof but did not see anyone. While reviewing security footage, Bortmas observed an individual leaving Apt 710, walking up the stairs, with no sign that the individual went back down the stairs. Labrado, joined by two police officers, Coss and McNamara, who checked the roof and observed a man near the building edge, fully extended and clinging to one of the metal ribs on the roof, terminating in a seven story drop. Labrado ordered him to climb to the peak, but the man responded, “I can’t move”. With nothing to secure themselves, Labrado and the police officers worked together to pull the man to safety over the peak and to the flat portion of the roof, where he was taken into custody. Labrado reported, “If he fought us we would have all gone over”. 

Letter of Recognition for Inv. Darren K. Bortmas