SERGEANT Rami Derbas was behind the counter at the Swan Hill Police Station when a man doused with petrol walked through the doors in the early hours of July 13 last year.
Up until that moment, it had been a normal night-shift — but as a cop you can’t count upon regularity when you’re on the job.
So when the man proceeded to light himself on fire, Sgt Derbas had to be mentally prepared. Thankfully, he was.
“It just happened so quickly — I reacted probably without thinking,” Sgt Derbas said.
“Obviously when he did it, the first thing on my mind was, ‘I’ve got to put the fire out’.”
Sgt Derbas ran into the station and grabbed the closest fire extinguisher, putting the flames out and saving the man’s life — and perhaps the entire police station — before jumping the counter to ensure he would no longer pose a threat to anyone.
With the help of the other station-workers, he then looked after the man before an ambulance arrived.
The man had a history of mental illness and he’d had regular dealings with the police before — Sgt Derbas thought that he might have come in looking for a confrontation with the police.
Sgt Derbas didn’t think there was anything particularly remarkable about his actions that night, saying: “anyone in my position would’ve reacted similarly.”
However, Victoria Police felt differently and this week awarded him a Divisional Commendation for his bravery and quick-thinking.
He was one of 19 Swan Hill service area police offers honoured at a medal ceremony at Town Hall on Monday.
For more on this story, pick up a copy of Wednesday’s Guardian (December 3).
