Like a scene out of an action movie with adrenaline running and no time to spare, two Transit Security Officers acted with incredible heroism and rescued a person trapped in a vehicle that had caught on fire.

At approximately 1 a.m. on Oct. 31, officers Adam Shah and Kim Sanqui were parked on Denman Street in downtown Vancouver when the incident began to unfold.

“I was inside our vehicle typing up a report while my partner was outside,” says Kim. “Suddenly, a car travelling southbound on Denman Street hit a parked van in the oncoming lane. Then, that parked van collided with our Transit Security vehicle that I was in. We later learned that the motorist who caused the crash had suffered a medical emergency.”

The scene of the crash was filled with smoke due to a growing engine fire.

“I had inhaled smoke and was coughing while trying to communicate about the incident over radio,” says Kim. “After I called it in, we grabbed our department-issued fire extinguisher.”

The pair quickly extinguished the fire. Then, they noticed the air bags were deployed in the crashed vehicle and the driver was still inside.  

“We knocked on the windows,” says Adam. “The driver was conscious but not responding. The doors were locked and there was a lot of smoke building up inside the car cabin. We used a glass-breaking tool to smash the window and unlock the door. The driver was hyperventilating and in shock, so we cut their seatbelt off and pulled them out of the car.”

First responders arrived and took the injured motorist to the hospital. They also examined officers for smoke inhalation and minor injuries. Fortunately, all parties were going to be OK.

“It feels good to do what we do,” says Adam. “As Transit Security Officers, we deal with all kinds of situations that require us to stay calm and work through the risks to help others. In this scenario, the first risk was the fire, which we put out with the fire extinguisher. When that danger was addressed, we knew the person inside the car was at risk of inhaling too much smoke, so we got them out next.”

Transit Security Officers are on the front lines of our transit system in Metro Vancouver protecting employees and transit property, as well as customer safety and interactions. While they encounter many different experiences being out in the public, their response to this emergency incident on Oct. 31 is an incredible one to remember.

We are grateful for the quick thinking action of Transit Security Officers Adam and Kim.

Learn more about the role of a Transit Security Officer by listening to What’s the T: the TransLink Podcast with Jawn Jang.