SCHENECTADY, NY (WRGB) — A man who ran into a burning home to help a family escape was honored by the New York State Assembly for actions credited with saving multiple lives.
David Hester was recognized with a New York State Assembly citation for what was described as selfless courage after a fire on May 31 at a home in Schenectady where Lavern Johnson and her family lived. The fire was determined by the investigators to be caused by a lithium e-bike battery that failed, which was stored on the porch.
“I will never forget this you know and I said I have to meet this person who saved me and saved the entire family,” Johnson said.
Johnson said she realized something was wrong when she heard someone trying to get her attention from outside.
“I heard the window knocking. Ma’am, come out, come out,” Johnson said.
Hester was playing pickleball across the street at Hillhurst Park when the fire started. He went into the home before first responders arrived to help people who could not get out on their own.
“I got upstairs and I checked in front of the porch. There was nobody in the living room where in the front porch where the fire initiated. I checked in first bedroom I found a younger child,” Hester said.
After getting the boy out safely, Hester says he went back into the burning home three more times to help Johnson, her nephew, who has cerebral palsy, and her mother.
“I saw a lady on the floor. I went and picked her up and brought her outside. That’s when I was hit by a piece of burning wood. It hit me in my head, burned my shoulder was a little bit and came down and hit me in my ankle. I still managed to get everybody out pretty safely,” Hester said.
Just over a month later, the Johnson family reunited with Hester at the site where their home once stood as Assemblymember Angelo Santabarbara presented the citation.
“No trained firefighting experience. No first responder training. Just looking to see if anybody’s in danger, to get them to safety. To me, that’s all the elements of a leader in our community, a hero,” Santabarbara said.
Johnson said her family is expected to move into a new apartment next week, but lost all of their possessions and documents in the fire. The family has raised almost $3,000 through two GoFundMe fundraisers, but still needs help replacing what was lost. Links to both can be found below.