Officers Honored for Stephen Way Rescue

When a house on Stephen Way caught fire last November, the homeowner refused to leave his home as it burned around him. It took the efforts of five police officers and additional fire department personnel to enter the house's rear basement entrance, find the resident and carry him outside to safety.

Those officers and other members of the Upper Southampton Police Department received citations and commendations for their efforts to maintain public safety at the township's board of supervisors meeting last week.

The awards handed out include:

• Distinguished Unit Citation: Awarded to Sgt. John Costello Sgt. Michael Jones, Ofc. Anthony Marsaglia, Ofc. Scott Irvin and Ofc. Douglas Heiduk for showing determination while removing the homeowner during the hazardous fire.
• Distinguished Unit Citation: Awarded to Sgt. Richard Gruver, Det. Craig Rudisill, Ofc. Michael Kaminski, Ofc. Frank Fazzio and Ofc. Christopher Koehnlein for the Nov. 21, 2011, apprehension of a man accused of robbing Frankford Cleaners on Second Street Pike.
• Commendatory Letter: Awarded to Sgt. John Costello and Ofc. Anthony Marsaglia for using crisis management techniques to talk down a man who threatened to attempt suicide by electrocution in May 2012.
• Commendatory Letter: Awarded to Ofc. Anthony Marsaglia for peacefully subduing an adolescent with emotional issues who barricaded himself in his room on March 28, 2012.
• Citizens Award: Awarded to Madison McHugh, Cassidy McHugh and Susan Kennedy for pulling 84-year-old Paul Kennedy out of the deep end of the pool and performing CPR, saving his life. When Madison, 14, discovered her grandfather was not comingup from the bottom of the pool on July 18, 2012, she called for help, dove in and pulled him above water. Madison's sister, Cassidy, 11, and their mother, Susan, helped get him out of the pool, where Madison used the CPR training she received while taking babysitting courses two years ago.
• Commendation of Merit: Awarded to Det. James Schirmer for the arrest and subsequent conviction of Luke Bonhage for involuntary manslaughter. Bonhage supplied the drugs used by Rachel Anne Collington when she died from an overdose on Dec. 5, 2011.
• Commendation for Heroism: Awarded to Ofc. Albert Costantini and Ofc. Frederick Williamson for rescuing Andrew Reilly from a fire at his residence on Hi-View Dr. on Dec. 23, 2012.