Hero of the Month - September

Our Hero of the Month
for September 2022 is
Officer Bill Beaudette,
St Paul Police Department

August 4, 2022 started like many other days for Officer Beaudette until he rescued four children, aged 3 to 7, from heavy smoke and flames in their home.

Bill Beaudette, a law enforcement officer of 29 years, was patrolling on the East Side that Thursday morning. It was a quiet shift, but he knew something was wrong when he saw smoke in the area of Case Avenue and Forest Street.

A duplex was on fire so Beaudette contacted the fire department. He helped a resident from the upper unit get outside and, when she mentioned there may be children downstairs, Beaudette knew something had to be done.

“I was trying to wait for the fire department, but I couldn’t because (the house) was starting to fill with smoke. So I kicked the door in and found the four kids,” Beaudette said, tearing up as he spoke. "The children’s father had stepped out of the house before the fire began. Gathering the kids and bringing them to safety took roughly 15 seconds. I was just in the right place at the right time.”

The children weren’t injured, according to police.

Deputy Fire Chief Ken Adams said Beaudette’s actions were life saving.

“One of the things we know about young children and fires is that they become scared, and when they become scared they don’t go out, they hide,” he said. “They’ll hide under beds, they’ll hide in closets, trying to get away from the smoke that’s coming into the building.”

Join us in celebrating Officer Beaudette and his years of serving his community with courage, integrity and bravery. We are so thankful for his intuition, skill and and dedication to community.