New York, NY – The NYPD has adopted new protocols for police entering buildings while responding to fires after an officer died in a blaze in a residential building.
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The guidelines call for officers to use stairs when possible. If they take an elevator, they should get off two floors below the fire and walk the rest of the way.
On Sunday, Officers Dennis Guerra and Rosa Rodriguez responded to a 911 call of a suspicious fire in the hallway of a Coney Island building. They took an elevator up to the 13th floor and were immediately exposed to a wave of smoke, suffering carbon monoxide poisoning and smoke inhalation.
Guerra died of his injuries Wednesday. Rodriguez remains in critical condition.
A 16-year-old boy has been charged with arson and other charges.