Ed DiRocco didn’t think twice when he saw a man trapped on the third floor of a burning building near Chalkstone Avenue in March.  He quickly sprang into action to save a life, earning him a Citizen Citation today from Mayor David N. Cicilline and Fire Chief George S. Farrell for his selfless act of bravery.

“Each and every day our public safety professionals put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe,” said MayorCicilline.  “For this, they deserve our profound and deep gratitude.  It is rare, however, when the situation is so urgent that there is no time to wait for first responders to arrive.

“Mr. DiRocco demonstrated incredible courage by going out of his way to save a complete stranger from a life-threatening situation and on behalf of the residents of Providence I am profoundly thankful for his act of bravery,” the Mayor added.  “The human spirit is an amazing force and when faced with a life and death situation, often compels and empowers average citizens, people like you and me, to accomplish extraordinary things,”

DiRocco was traveling down Chalkstone Avenue on March 29 when he noticed an apartment building on Zone Street engulfed in flames.  When he pulled in front of the house, he said he heard glass breaking and noticed a man, Tao Yang, hanging out of a third floor window, trapped.  As smoke and flames poured from the windows, DiRocco quickly pulled a ladder out of a van and helped Yang climb to safety. 

“Ed DiRocco didn’t hesitate when he saw Mr. Yang trapped on the third floor of a burning building, and that takes enormous courage,” said Providence Fire Chief George S. Farrell.