First Responder of the Month - Ryan Cooper

In the midst of sorrow, we often find reason to be thankful. For instance, just last week, what should have been a quick flight turned into tragedy. A small plane headed from Daytona Beach to central Florida crashed into two homes, killing five people. Both people aboard the plane died, along with a woman and two children in the homes. Still, many are thankful for the hero who was there that day—Ryan Cooper.

Ryan was the firefighter who ran into the burning homes—without an air pack—and pulled a 10-year old boy and his father to safety. Incredibly, Ryan was off-duty that day but happened to be standing in his driveway when the crash occurred right down the street. Amid the smoke inhalation and disorientation, he was able to rescue two residents who are forever grateful for his incredible heroism.

USA Today says that Ryan prefers not to be called a hero, saying he “did what any firefighter would do…everybody that goes to work, every 24 hours, at every fire station across the country, it's their job to do it.” Even so, we salute Ryan Cooper for his heroic efforts, and we recognize his amazing courage and selflessness.