MTA cops honored for rescuing 3 from fire

Two MTA police officers from Suffolk County were honored Wednesday for saving three people, including a 5-year-old boy, from a Westbury fire last month.

Patrick Riedel, 32, of Port Jefferson Station, and Kenneth Wilson, 42, of Ridge, received commendations at a Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board meeting. MTA chairman Joseph Lhota applauded the veteran cops for "their bravery, their service and for a job well-done."

Riedel and Wilson were on routine patrol April 15 when they came upon a fire in an apartment over a Post Avenue storefront. They called Nassau police and fire rescue services.

"But this is where the story goes from ordinary to extraordinary," Lhota said. "Instead of waiting for the fire department, these officers decided to take action."

They found the child and two adults inside and ushered them down three flights of stairs to safety outside.

"They were scared. They had no clue what was going on," said Riedel, a 10-year officer.