Albuquerque Public Safety Director Darren White recognized a volunteer police chaplain Friday who risked his own life to save dozens of horses from burning alive.
Albuquerque Public Safety Director Darren White recognized a volunteer police chaplain Friday who risked his own life to save dozens of horses from burning alive.
Chaplain Bob Church was named this week’s Friday’s Hero. Each week Mayor Richard J. Berry or Director White recognizes one public safety employee who goes above the call of duty.
“The work of our chaplain program goes unnoticed so often,” Director White said. “Our volunteers give so much to our community. In this case, Chaplain Church was willing to give his own life to save a stranger’s precious animals.”
On June 28, Chaplain Church, who is a fulltime pastor at Sagebrush Church on Coors NW, was off duty when he heard cries for help during a fire that broke out along the edge of the Bosque behind the sanctuary.
With no supplies on hand, Chaplain Church sprung into action. He ran towards the fire and saw there were horses trapped in a pasture and nearby hay on fire. Church jumped into the pasture and helped pull a section of fence apart and corral the horses into a safe location.
The fire, which has been commonly referred to as the Sage Fire, burned about 20 acres. Due to Church’s efforts no animals were lost. A shed was destroyed by the fire.
Church is a member of the Albuquerque Police Department’s Volunteer Chaplain Unit. As a member of the unit he is called to counsel victims and officers who are involved in horrific crimes.
“As a result of Church’s selfless actions, the horses were okay and only a small shed was lost in the fire,” said Briane Dennison, commander of the APD chaplain unit. “He is truly an asset to the APD Volunteer Chaplain Unit, the Department and the community.”
