{"id":196975,"date":"2026-03-18T21:57:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T21:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/196975\/"},"modified":"2026-03-18T21:57:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T21:57:08","slug":"high-school-student-hailed-a-hero-at-ceremony-for-saving-retired-deputy-from-ne-miami-dade-apartment-fire-wsvn-7news-miami-news-weather-sports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/196975\/","title":{"rendered":"High school student hailed a hero at ceremony for saving retired deputy from NE Miami-Dade apartment fire – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports"},"content":{"rendered":"

MIAMI (WSVN) – A high school student was hailed as a hero and lauded for doing the right thing after saving a retired deputy from a burning building<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rami Ouazza, a senior at Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School was honored on Wednesday by the Miami Police Department for his actions after he ran into a burning building to save his neighbor, a retired deputy, months ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn Nov. 4, Rami woke up to his apartment building on fire,\u201d said the announcer.<\/p>\n

The ceremony shone a light on students who showed bravery, compassion and quick thinking during tough situations.<\/p>\n

The fire burned through an apartment complex in Northeast Miami-Dade, with residents waking up to the blaring sounds of a fire alarm.<\/p>\n

While others had heard false alarms before, Ouazza took action.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething inside me just felt like it was a little bit different,\u201d Ouazza said, \u201cI was thinking about the smoke coming into my lungs, but there were more important things, making sure everybody didn\u2019t think it was a false alarm as well, so I was just worried about knocking on all the doors, making sure everybody\u2019s out, and that\u2019s all I was thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n

That was when Ouazza decided to do the right thing, and ran towards danger, joining others to rescue a trapped neighbor, who is a disabled retired deputy.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I saw a bunch of smoke, I made sure my family was able to exit out safely, and then I went to go help the retired police officer evacuate the building, trying to save his house,\u201d he said, \u201cI knew him prior to the fire, we talked a lot, he\u2019s a good friend, he worked for Palm Beach County Sheriff\u2019s Office.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, his lifesaving bravery got him the recognition that he deserved, and he was honored for his courage under fire.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat you heard from Rami was nothing short of incredible, you know, running into a home that\u2019s on fire and saving folks,\u201d said Miami Police Chief Manny Morales. \u201cOne of them a retired officer. That absolutely takes an amount of bravery that I don\u2019t think a lot of folks in our community have.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel outstanding,\u201d said Ouazza. \u201cIt\u2019s a great feeling to be selected for the Do The Right Thing top 10 winners.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite his moment in the spotlight, Ouazza remains a humble hero.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it was doing the right thing, I think it was doing the right thing,\u201d he said, \u201cIf you\u2019re able to defend other people that can\u2019t defend themselves, because he was an injured police officer, I think you should go in and use your strength to go help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Out of more than 800 nominees, Ouazza was one of only 10 being honored.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.<\/p>\n

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