VIRTUAL MEDAL OF VALOR: Four deputies who rescued a man inside a burning assisted living facility in Mission Viejo were awarded the Medal of Courage and the Medal for Lifesaving at this year’s ceremony.
On Nov. 30, 2019 at about 2:45 p.m., Deputies Grumbles, Santo and Tomasko were dispatched to a structure fire at an assisted living facility in Mission Viejo.
Upon arrival, the deputies noticed thick black smoke billowing out of the windows and could hear the smoke alarms sounding. An employee approached them and said there were elderly people trapped inside.
The deputies immediately ran to the front door and could hear people screaming from inside the facility. Deputies Grumbles and Tomasko entered the front door with minimal visibility in search of the victims, while Deputy Santo went to shut off the gas to prevent an explosion. While shutting off the gas, Deputy Santo heard additional screams from inside, so he entered the facility through a sliding glass door.
With less than two feet of visibility and no breathing apparatuses, the three deputies met up inside the home and made their way to an elderly victim’s bedroom. Since she was unable to get out of bed, they picked her up and placed her in a wheelchair, which they carried outside the building. While exiting the house, they came across two additional victims who were both employees and safely evacuated them.
After moving everyone away from the fire, the three deputies entered the home once more to make sure no one else was trapped inside. The deputies were transported to Mission Hospital for excessive smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning.
