SFS member saves elderly woman in house fire

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Buffy Galbraith
  • 919th SOW Public Affairs
DUKE FIELD, Fla. --  He was first on the scene, arriving before firefighters and emergency management services. Concerned neighbors gathered as thick, black smoke billowed from the rafters, soffits and chimney of the one-story home. He ran toward the house as onlookers backed away, with only one thought in his head, "There are people in there who need my help." 

With no thought for his own safety, Staff Sgt. Stepho Tterlikkis, a 919th Security Forces Squadron member here, entered the elderly woman's home as a good Samaritan stumbled out panting, "She won't come out!" 

Sergeant Tterlikkis, who works for the Tallahassee, Fla., Police Department as a prisoner transport officer, said he felt an adrenaline rush as he entered the residence on the evening of Jan. 21. 

"There was smoke everywhere," said Sergeant Tterlikkis, a 17-year law enforcement veteran. "I didn't know where the fire was, so I just started moving through the house to find the victims and get them out." 

He was joined by another uniformed officer who helped him first locate 60-year-old Essie Mae Smith, a concerned neighbor who had become disoriented inside the dwelling. The other officer helped her to safety as Sergeant Tterlikkis continued on, calling out to the homeowner. 

"I could only see about two feet in front of me and the smoke was building," he said. "I got down as low as I could, kept moving toward the victim's voice when she answered my calls and after what seemed like an eternity, found her in the bathroom." 

Though he was only in the house for about three minutes, getting 86-year-old Pearlie May Brown to safety was a challenge. 

"Mrs. Brown kept telling me that she couldn't leave until she got dressed. She was very confused and was resistant to my assistance," said Sergeant Tterlikkis. "Every time I coaxed her toward the exit, she would turn back the other way and say she had to get 
something." 

Knowing that time was of the essence, he grabbed the elderly woman and pulled her to safety, concerned only with getting her out of danger. 

"In a situation like that, you are constantly assessing risk factors. I couldn't see anything and I was afraid that the floor might collapse, but the benefits of getting Mrs. Brown to safety definitely outweighed the risk of what could happen," he said. 

Firefighters and EMS arrived on the scene as Sergeant Tterlikkis and the woman emerged from the residence, and the exhausted law enforcement officer handed the victim over to the professionals for treatment. Though he inhaled a significant amount of smoke, he denied treatment for himself. 

"I knew I was fine, and fortunately, both ladies were treated and released," said Sergeant Tterlikkis. 

"It feels good to know that I helped someone, but I was only doing my job. Helping people is one of the reasons I became a police officer."