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Council recognizes Hialeah police officers for life-saving response at November apartment fire
Summary
The City Council publicly recognized five police officers whose actions during a November 2024 apartment fire helped rescue an elderly resident. City leaders praised the officers for entering a burning building, evacuating residents and performing CPR until firefighters arrived.
The City Council and mayor publicly recognized members of the Hialeah Police Department for actions during a November 2024 apartment fire that council leaders said saved an elderly man’s life.
The officers named in the recognition were Reynaldo Alvarez, Jonathan Hernandez, Christopher Tejala, Jonathan Lopez and Kevin Hidalgo. Chief George Fuentes (referenced in later remarks) and council members praised the officers for entering a smoke-filled, third-floor apartment, evacuating residents and carrying an unresponsive elderly male down three flights of stairs while performing CPR before handing the patient to the fire department.
“On this day, they responded to a call for service of a fire off of East Fourth Avenue and 23rd Street,” a presenter said in introducing the recognition and described the scene as chaotic. “They went into harm’s way. You said, ‘This is not my job. I’m not a fire guy.’ But you didn’t do that,” Mayor-level remarks at the dais said, praising the officers’ willingness to enter the apartment and provide life-saving aid.
Council reaction and context: Council members and the chief thanked the officers and their colleagues. Firefighters’ union representatives later referenced the department’s work during a separate public-comment item, praising coordinated response and procession organization. No formal council action or funding decisions were associated with the recognition; it was ceremonial acknowledgment of the officers’ response and interagency cooperation with Hialeah Fire Rescue.
Ending: The council presented a public recognition to the named officers and thanked police and fire personnel for their response and cooperation during the incident.
