Although No Shots fired, Vest Saves Carmel Cop

[Bunkers 0]

Although No Shots fired, Vest Saves Carmel Cop

By Terence Corcoran

The Journal News • February 11, 2008

MAHOPAC - If the bulletproof vest that Officer Stephen McCabe was wearing last week while responding to a car fire outside a local school didn't save his life, it certainly prevented a serious injury, Chief Michael Johnson said today.

McCabe, 28, was dispatched to the Lakeview Elementary School last Monday around 5:10 p.m. on a report of a car fire, Johnson said. Police did not release information on the incident until today

"The vehicle was fully engulfed. All of our cruisers are equipped with fire extinguishers, so he tried to put it out," Johnson said.

That's when things got tricky.

Realizing his extinguisher was no match for the fire, McCabe turned his back on the burning Jeep to usher away a crowd, including children at the school for a function, that was gathering near the fire.

Just as he did that, a hydraulic arm that holds open the Jeep's rear hatch exploded from the fire and struck McCabe in the back.

"Luckily, he was wearing his bullet-proof vest and the injury to his back was limited to a sore back," Johnson said. "The wearing of bulletproof vests not only protects officers from bullets, but it also softens the impact of foreign objects and fists."

[x129K 1,393]

No crap! Amazing.

[DR104 141]

Ok I will bite!!! Not to make this a PD vs FD , Glad to hear he is ok. usher away a crowd, including children at the school for a function, that was gathering near the fire." Thats what he should have been doing in the first place. If there was no life or people in danger or a chance for it to catch onto the school/building then LET IT BURN!!!!!! PD gets the bad guys and FD puts out the fire. This happens all the time on my job!!! I know they want to do the right thing, we all do, thats why we do what we do,but somebody is going to get hurt.

[irishfire2491 24]

Step one of Fire Extuishers Never turn your back Pull Aim Squeese Sweep then walk backwards away from the fire.

Gald to see he is Ok. Hope that is a refresher to every one watch out for the pistons and loaded bumpers!!!!

[ONEEYEDMIC 68]

Ok I will bite!!! Not to make this a PD vs FD , Glad to hear he is ok. usher away a crowd, including children at the school for a function, that was gathering near the fire." Thats what he should have been doing in the first place. If there was no life or people in danger or a chance for it to catch onto the school/building then LET IT BURN!!!!!! PD gets the bad guys and FD puts out the fire. This happens all the time on my job!!! I know they want to do the right thing, we all do, thats why we do what we do,but somebody is going to get hurt.

You think that he is wrong for trying to put out the fire? None of us were there so we don't know how good the fire was going when he got there or how far the crowd was from the car. If it was totally engulfed I wouldn't have attempted to put it out. Is that the same scenario with a HOUSE FIRE? There is a good to great chance that I PD will be at a House fire before the FD. If I hear somebody is still inside, I am going to do my best to get them out WITHOUT HARMING MYSELF. If it is too hot I guess all I can do is wait for the FD. Sorry if putting out the FIRE takes your fun away. (In the car fire incident). Doing the right thing is what it should be about. Not PD versus FD.

[DR104 141]

You think that he is wrong for trying to put out the fire? None of us were there so we don't know how good the fire was going when he got there or how far the crowd was from the car. If it was totally engulfed I wouldn't have attempted to put it out. Is that the same scenario with a HOUSE FIRE? There is a good to great chance that I PD will be at a House fire before the FD. If I hear somebody is still inside, I am going to do my best to get them out WITHOUT HARMING MYSELF. If it is too hot I guess all I can do is wait for the FD. Sorry if putting out the FIRE takes your fun away. (In the car fire incident). Doing the right thing is what it should be about. Not PD versus FD.

Hey Onneeyedmic Welcome back!!!. You are correct we were not there. But for a hydraulic arm in the rear to go I would have to say it was going good.

[ONEEYEDMIC 68]

Hey Onneeyedmic Welcome back!!!. You are correct we were not there. But for a hydraulic arm in the rear to go I would have to say it was going good.

Thank you. Like I have said in the past. I don't know SQUAT about FIRE. I know that it is hot and hurts when you touch it and that it can make things go BOOM. What I am saying and knowing from experience is that I am going to attempt to put out the fire if not too big and if NO LIVES including mine are in danger.

Ok just because I need to know, how hot must it be to make an hydraulic arm blow off?

[ny10570 745]

Oneeye, Running through a potentially occupied structure is completely different from approaching a burning vehicle. Any time there is an immediate threat to life you cannot blame an officer for trying, in fact they should be commended. The issue here is there was clearly no threat to life. It wasn't an accident where there would be vehicle deformity and potential entrapment. If there's too much fire to tell if anyone is in there than you can't do anything for them anyway. The chances of being struck by any projectiles from a car fire are slim, but they are a significant projectiles traveling at high speed. Definitely penetrating trauma. As far as hot is to hot, who the hell knows. Even if I knew the temperature there's no way to tell what its at and how long its been exposed.

[lad12derff 283]

The car is a total lose. If the car is on fire no insurance company is going to fix it so why try and put it out without full PPE? I will never understand what these guys are thinking. Crowd control and scene safety are more important than the stupid car fire.