With proud postures, Somerset Borough police officers lined a back wall during a borough council meeting in quiet support of two of their own.
Officers Ruth Beckner and Charles Santa seemed humbled to accept Commendation for Valor Awards, which Somerset Mayor Bill Meyer presented to them at last night's council meeting.
"Their heroism must be commended," Meyer said.
Meyer told the story of their courage to a room packed with police officers, council members and visitors.
On Sept. 27, the two officers arrived first at a fire along the borough's West Main Street, where they were told that 4-year-old Jimmy Dale Thebeau was trapped in an upstairs room. The two immediately went into the burning building to try to save the boy, Meyer said.
Although the heat and smoke at times forced them to the ground, the officers made it to the bedroom door where the boy was trapped, but they were unable to save him without proper equipment.
Council members and visitors joined the other police officers in standing to applaud Beckner and Santa for their efforts.
Police Chief Randy Cox said their actions make him proud of all the borough's officers.
"I'm immensely proud of (Beckner and Santa), but there is one thing I'm convinced of: We honored these two officers tonight, but their willingness and commitment to serve run throughout the force," Cox said.
Beckner, who has been a borough officer for seven of her 11 years in law enforcement, is one of the department's criminal investigators and a bicycle patrol officer.
Santa, the department's Community Services Officer, has been a borough police officer for the past two years and a law enforcement member for 24 years.
Beckner and Santa are the first of the borough officers to receive the awards, which are part of a new Commendation Program designed to reward borough officers' outstanding efforts, Cox said.
"We plan to award the commendations whenever something of merit or impact occurs," he said.
Cox said three other borough officers - Brad Cramer, James Hahn and Clifford Pile - also were honored last Friday with Distinguished Service Awards.
"The three of them were hired in the '70s," Cox said. "There was not another full-time officer hired for 20 years, so they have really dedicated themselves to keeping this department moving."
During the meeting, council members set a date for another public meeting, a special ordinance review meeting to be held at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 3 in the borough building.
Meyer explained that council members designated a three-member committee to review all of the borough's ordinances.
"Some of the ordinances were very antiquated, from the early 1900's," he said.
"There's one that stipulates that dairy cannot be sold from door-to-door, although meat can.
"At the meeting, we will come back with all of our recommendations for updating the ordinances we reviewed."