A Slatington police officer who saved a borough resident’s life in a house fire last month has been acknowledged for his act of bravery.

Borough police officer Anthony Ballerini was honored by Police Chief Greg Winokur, Mayor Jeralyn Schoch and the Slatington Borough Council on Monday for his heroic actions that saved a borough resident’s life.

Slatington Borough Police and Slatington Fire Department were dispatched to a dwelling fire at 105-107 Fifth Street in the borough.

Ballerini, who is also a trained volunteer firefighter, found smoke coming from the second level of the home upon arrival, and was told by neighbors that they believed people were still inside.

“So on any given day, in emergency services your day can go from slow, easy, to being thrown into the thick of it,” Winokur said. “And on Thursday, May 18, 2023 at about 8.30 a.m., that’s exactly what happened.

“Officer Ballerini, without hesitation or regard for his own safety, forced entry into the home through the front door and, during his search, located a single resident asleep in the second floor bedroom adjacent to the room that was on fire,” Winokur continued. “Officer Ballerini was able to wake that resident up and safely get them out of the home without injury.

“Because of your actions, the resident of the Slatington Borough is alive and well today. And I hereby award you with recognition for outstanding achievement.”

The teen who was saved was the oldest of five children who lived at the home with their parents. No one was injured in the fire.

Ballerini said Wednesday he was humbled by the recognition.

“I appreciated council giving me the award they did on Monday night, I appreciate my chief also, my friends and family, everyone who was in attendance,” Ballerini said. “The support was overwhelming.”

Ballerini said his fire training kicked in when he got to the fire, adding “you don’t really think about it too much in the beginning.”

Ballerini said he was glad he could save the resident’s life.

“It makes me happy, and the family that he belonged to, it was very heartwarming to see their reaction,” he said. “And I’m glad I made that happen on May 18.”

Terry Ahner contributed to this report.