555-555-5555
mymail@mailservice.com
On September 18, 2022, Security Officer Jorge Ragghianti was alerted to smoke rising from a vehicle in our client's parking lot located in the town of Lakewood, Ohio. As he approached, the smoke intensified and he noticed a child screaming for help inside the vehicle. Initially, he used his fists and elbows to attempt to shatter the glass; however, the windows wouldn't break and the smoke continued to build. In search of a tool to help, he then ran to his own vehicle (pictured below) to retrieve a tire iron from the car's trunk. Within seconds, he was able to quickly break through a side window and pull the child outside of the car. After the child was safely removed, he heard a second child screaming from within, as flames and smoke further engulfed the car. He promptly broke out the rear window, reached in, and pulled the second child out. Within seconds of carrying the child away to safety, the vehicle burst into flames and Jorge collapsed, overcome from smoke inhalation and several other injuries (pictured below).
Throughout this entire ordeal, Security Officer Ragghianti didn't hesitate to jump to action, despite bystanders in the area who were reluctant to assist. As Lakewood city Fire Chief, Tim Dunphy, told The Lakewood Observer, "...if Jorge had not been there, those kids would be dead today."
A proud Uruguayan immigrant, and a decorated kickboxing champion, Jorge was eager to return to his post despite still recovering from injuries sustained during the incident. In fact, several members of our outstanding local Ohio team, led by Regional Manager Eric Fernandez, informed us that while still in his hospital room, only a day after being admitted, Jorge was already looking forward to getting back to work.
We are proud to share that on October 9, 2022, Jorge Ragghianti was honored by the City of Lakewood, the Lakewood Police Department, and the Lakewood Fire Department, in a ceremony presenting him with the City of Lakewood's Public Safety Civilian Act of Valor Award. In addition, the President of the Ohio Senate, Senator Matt Huffman, led the Ohio State Senate in tribute to Jorge's award with a commendation of gratitude for his heroism.
In the private security industry, we understand and respect that our officers are first responders. While Jorge's act of heroism was indeed exceptional, we are reminded every day of the hard working men and women who put on a private security uniform and continually sacrifice to protect our client's employees, customers, and property. Please join Howe Security and A&A Security in celebrating the heroic actions of Security Officer Jorge Ragghianti and all of the hard working private security officers.