Just as Officer Tyler Dison’s shift was ending, he happened to hear a call come in about an apartment fire where a child was possible trapped inside.
Rather than waiting to find out if he was needed, Tyler hastily made his there. By the time he arrived, one of the windows had flames bursting out of it while the rest had heavy smoke.
Tyler was immediately greeted by a woman who was standing outside screaming, “My baby’s inside!”
In that moment, Tyler’s instincts and training kicked in, not only from being a police officer, but from his time as a firefighter.
“I gotta save this child at all costs,” Tyler thought as he headed bravely into the flames. Within minutes, he came back outside with an exhausted 3-year-old in his arms.
“His breathing was very shallow, he was very lethargic,” Tyler said. “He was groaning, he wasn’t really responding.”
Soon after, the child was flown to UAB Hospital to get treated for his burns and any other injuries he sustained. He’s still recuperating, but his mom says he’s all set to make a full recovery!
“If I hadn’t done something, that baby would surely of died,” Tyler said.
This was the first time that Tyler responded to a call of this level in his two years on the force, but it’s life-saving situations like this that are the reason he chose this career. Something he felt inspired to do, in part, from watching his big brother who’s also a Rogersville police officer.
“I grew up in this town, I want to protect it always,” Tyler said. “He (Tyler’s big brother) always inspired me to do things and I just wanted to be just like him.”
Meanwhile, the rest of the police force couldn’t be more proud of him — they even plan to honor him for his heroic actions.
“He did what we’re out here to do,” Rogersville Police Chief Brian Hudson said, “protect lives, saves lives.”
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