Fireman gets promotion after QC tower fire

MANILA, Philippines – Senior Fire Officer 1 (SFO1) Florencio Azonsa of the Quezon City Fire District got promoted on top of being awarded with a ‘Medalya ng Kabayanihan’ after his heroic actions saved 6 lives from a burning building in Quezon City on October 31, 2016.

On Thursday, November 3, Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael “Mike” Sueno personally gave the award to now Senior Fire Officer 2 (SFO2) Azonsa who was still admitted at the Chinese General Hospital after suffering from severe wounds and heart attack.

Six people, including a 4 month old baby, were trapped inside the burning Francesca Towers building in Quezon City when the 48-year old fireman attempted to rescue them from suffocation with a breathing apparatus.

Azonsa eventually succeeded in leading them to an elevator out from the building.

“Bakit niya pa i-offer yong breathing apparatus niya sa anim na yon? Talagang he risked his own life. Kabayanihan talaga yon,” said Sueno in a press statement. (Why would he still offer his breathing appartus to those 6? He really risked his own life. That really was heroism.)

Sueno also awarded the same medal to the members of the Special Reaction Unit of the Bureau of Fire Protection, who were responsible of putting the fire out. The awardees are SFO1 Ernesto B. Belecarpio III, SFO1 Carmelo E. Eugenio, FO3 Bill l. Astudillo, and FO2 Christopher N. Gaor. – Rappler.com