A citizen stopped Officer Alex Salazar of the Missouri City, Texas, Police Department to advise that a house was on fire in the area. (The Bulletin Notes).

A citizen stopped Officer Alex Salazar of the Missouri City, Texas, Police Department to advise that a house was on fire in the area. After arriving at the location of the fire, Officer Salazar saw a light haze of smoke in the dwelling through the open front door. He found one elderly male on the sofa and a second male standing in the same room. Officer Salazar realized that the house was a facility for individuals with mental illnesses and that they were either unaware of the danger or in shock. He escorted both men outside to safety and immediately reentered the residence. He went to the bedroom in the back of the house to search for other people and tripped over a female lying on the floor. She did not respond verbally and appeared to be in shock. He noticed a wheel chair in the room, took it to the hallway by the front door, dragged the woman to the chair, and wheeled her outside. Officer Salazar went back into the house a third time to check for other people. Because the smoke was extremely thick at that point, he had to crawl to check closets and rooms, primarily by touch due to limited visibility. He completed his search and exited the house. Officer Salazar showed professionalism and courage by risking his own safety to evacuate the burning residence. His actions saved the lives of these individuals.