Rensselaer student saves family, gifted with his own name day
RENSSELAER, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A 6th grader at Rensselaer City School District was honored Wednesday for his courageous actions that saved his family's life a couple weeks ago. The city celebrated the student, Junior Loja Guaman, with gifts such as a check, plaque and even his very own day named after him.
Quick thinking, bravery and lifesaving wit are all characteristics Junior showed one morning when he was getting ready for school -- but it wasn't a typical morning.
“The student woke up for school and he noticed there was smoke in the house," said Rensselaer Fire Chief William Brooking. “We received an alarm fire at 6:38 a.m. on Oct. 29. There was heavy black smoke coming from the front door in passing the house I noticed that there was a visible kitchen fire."
Chief Brooking said Junior smelled the fire and immediately went to wake up his parents. However, the path to get to his parent's room was tricky due to the spreading fire.
“There was one opening to get from the living room to the kitchen to the backroom and the fire was actually in the opening. So for him to get by that was pretty brave to 'Stay Low and Go,'" said Brooking.
'Stay Low and Go' is one of the methods that Junior has ben learning in school for the last few years with Rensselaer Fire Department's fire prevention program in schools.
"They actually bring the gear in, they get dressed, they teach the kids to stay low and go," said Brooking. "To teach these kids how to act, closing doors, various things you can do to help contain fires, slow the spread of them down."
Junior said he used one of these methods he learned, including covering his mouth and nose with his shirt, when passing through the smoke.
"Cover my nose, and go down and tell my parents," said Junior.
Junior's teacher Megan Nahal said she was not surprised to hear that Junior remembered this tactic.
“As my student, he was also listening to everything I taught him, interested, and always wanting to know more," said Nahal.
The city repaid Junior for that courageousness on Tuesday with an assembly in the auditorium of Rensselaer schools. They gifted Junior with a few gifts including a $2,500 check, a plaque, a patch and something a little less tangible.
"With the authority vested in me, as the mayor of the City of Rensselaer, I hereby congratulate junior on his heroism and hereby declare Oct. 29 as Junior Loja day," said Mayor Michael Stammel.
That day is now marked in Rensselaer calendars. Junior and his family said there are no words to describe this feeling. Plus, Junior's bravery is not something that can be taught in schools, instead he said he got it from somewhere closer to home.
"My parents," said Junior.
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