Bob O’Hare cited by Trenton mayor for fire rescue
By: Ken Weingartner
TRENTON — Bob O’Hare calls it being at the right place at the right time. And for that serendipity, he — and six South Trenton residents — are grateful.
Mr. O’Hare, a former patrolman for the Allentown Police Department who now works for the Trenton police, in February assisted in the rescue of the six residents and one blind dog from four burning row houses near the corner of Cass and Adeline streets in the city.
For his efforts, Mr. O’Hare recently was awarded the Trenton Mayor’s Citation for Valor, also known as the Police Medal of Honor.
“Fires are not something we usually get involved in,” Mr. O’Hare said. “We don’t have the right clothing, the flame-retarded clothing, or equipment. It was nice to be recognized, and it’s a very prestigious honor.”
Mr. O’Hare and his partner, Chris Goherig, were on a routine patrol after midnight Feb. 15 when they discovered the fire. Mr. O’Hare said there had been a rash of arson fires in the area, leading to additional neighborhood patrols.
When Mr. O’Hare and his partner arrived at the scene, the four row houses were “fully engulfed,” he said. Emergency crews were called, and then the two police officers entered each building looking anyone who might be inside.
Because of the wind conditions that night, the smoke was being pulled to the rear of the of the buildings, Mr. O’Hare said. For that reason, most of the residents didn’t even know the building was on fire.
“The fire started in the back of the homes,” said Mr. O’Hare, who still resides in Allentown. “The smoke was going out the back because of the wind, they were not even smelling the smoke. We really got lucky because the wind conditions pulled the smoke away. Our biggest concern was the flames.”
Mr. O’Hare said his uniform was singed during the rescue.
Another concern was the language barrier the officers encountered with one family, especially because the door to the house had been locked.
“They were a little concerned because two police officers just broke into their home,” Mr. O’Hare said. “Everyone in the family spoke Spanish. We had to convince them there was an emergency.”
In addition to the six residents, Mr. O’Hare carried a blind collie from one of the buildings.
He said there were no injuries reported at the scene.
“We were just at the right place at the right time, thank God,” Mr. O’Hare said. “Those people would have perished.”
Mr. O’Hare worked six years for the Allentown Police Department. He joined the department in 1993 after graduating from the Trenton Police Academy. He took his job in Trenton in April 1999.
During his tenure in Allentown, Mr. O’Hare worked with the Upper Freehold Regional School District on various crime and drug prevention programs for students. He remains a member of the Upper Freehold Alliance to Prevent Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.