A must read: Fire versus police. Portsmouth, NH fire chief tells cops to stay out of way after they attempt rescue at house fire.

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Thanks to reader Gillian Hurlburt Cox for sending this article our way.

Chris LeClaire, the fire chief in Portsmouth, New Hampshire is publicly criticizing Portsmouth police officers who entered a burning home on January 31 in an unsuccessful attempt to save 63-year-old Martha Laszlo. When the first firefighters pulled up to the house a police car was blocking their way. In addition, according to this morning's seacoastonline.com article by Elizabeth Dinan, a cop's pants melted, officers had vented the building and one officer had to be pulled out because of smoke. In addition a neighbor had attempted to make a rescue.

Deputy Police Chief Stephen DuBois told the paper that police are not going to stand by and wait when someone's life in jeopardy. DuBois also used a line often reserved for firefighters, "Going into a burning building, while normal people would be running out, is very courageous."

Dubois indicates, despite the fire chief's concern, they will continue to leave this decision to the officer's discretion and points out police are operating on instinct at that point.

In the article Chief LeClaire warned police and the public about breaking windows and opening doors and the impact improper ventilation can have on a fire. The fire chief wants everyone to just "clear the way and let us do our job". He also said that they do expect police to clear roadways for responding apparatus to arrive and not block them.

Here's more from the article:

"You don't help by becoming a victim yourself," said LeClaire, who noted the city spends thousands of dollars to outfit firefighters with encapsulated suits and individual breathing supplies to protect them in fires.

LeClaire said if an ambulance is called from the fire department to a scene where a weapon is involved, "we stage with an ambulance down the street."

DuBois said he would hope that if someone were injured in a gunfight, ambulance and fire crews would "effectuate a rescue." 

"Officers are trained to go in and put themselves in harm's way," he said. "We ingrain that."

Read entire seacoastonline.com article

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