3 Maui policemen honored

They helped save four people
from two separate blazes

WAILUKU » Two Maui police officers and a captain were recognized for saving the lives of four people in two separate fires.

Officer Kristopher Galon received the Maui Police Department's Silver Medal of Valor yesterday for pulling an unconscious man from a burning vehicle that had rolled along Hansen Road near the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. mill in Puunene.

Galon, 31, was pulling the man out after 12:43 a.m. on Sept. 11 when the engine compartment exploded, knocking him to the ground, said Deputy Police Chief Kekuhaupio Akana.

Disregarding his own safety and the intensity of the fire, Akana said, Galon got back on his feet and pulled the occupant from the vehicle to safety.

Akana said the fire eventually spread to the cab of the vehicle and would have likely caused severe or life-ending injuries to the occupant.

"Officer Kristopher Galon distinguished himself conspicuously, above and beyond the normal performance of duty, by means of bravery and at risk to his life," Akana said.

Galon said he became a police officer at age 27 knowing that he might be called upon to risk his life to save others.

"It feels good," he said. "That's what we're here for."

Galon said he suffered a minor concussion, went to the hospital for several hours of observation and was back on patrol that same day.

Officer Joshua Haglan, 31, and Capt. Charles Hirata, 48, received the Bronze Medal of Valor for helping to save the lives of three people staying in a second-floor condominium where a fire had engulfed the living room about 10:53 p.m. on Sept. 6.

While on patrol, Haglan noticed flames rising through the roof and window of a unit at the Channel House Condominium in Lahaina and notified police dispatchers.

Haglan said he ran up to the second-story unit and attempted to notify possible occupants by banging his baton on the door, but did not receive a response. He said he figured there was no one in the unit and ran to notify people in other units about the fire.

Hirata arrived within seconds of hearing about the fire and turned on his siren to alert condominium occupants.

Hirata said he went upstairs to see if anyone was in the unit, opened the door and went inside to help two women and a man out of the condominium.

"Without his (Hirata's) action ... we wouldn't have gotten out," said resident John Diaz.

Diaz said none of the occupants had realized there was a fire in the living room.

Terry Casey said the flames were so intense that he, wife Arlene, Diaz and also Hirata suffered some burns.

"I wouldn't have this lady (his wife) if it wasn't for him," Casey said.