Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: MAY 2016 27 T hey say a cop’s never off duty. That’s true even when a police offi- cer takes some much needed time off for a little rest and relaxation. In Nebraska, Papillion Police Officer Jobi Drefs just wanted to get her boat in the water and relax on her day off. But a crashed vehicle that was on fire with a trapped occupant inside made Drefs put her plans on the back burner as she jumped into action. Along with several others, Drefs got close to the flaming truck and found one Blaine Rageth. He couldn’t remember the crash. He just understood that he was now on fire. “Next thing I knew, I was pinned and on fire,” Rageth told reporters with WOWT.com. Rageth knew his chances of surviving were slim. He thought he was dead for sure. “I was screaming,” he said. “I was in tears.” “I could hear the scream- ing,” Drefs said. “It was, ‘what can we do to get him out?’ with him screaming and telling me that his legs were on fire.” With some help from the other rescuers, Drefs and co. were able to pull Rageth to safety. “I’ve got third degree burns from both knees down and then I broke my tibia, fibula in two spots and I broke my ankle,” Rageth remembered. Rageth’s injuries took a toll. He can’t work and now walks with a cane. But he says he’s able to enjoy life and his family still and not a day goes by that he doesn’t think of the off- duty police officer who took charge. “I’m here today because of her,” he said. Drefs, a 10-year veteran officer, says she didn’t con- sider the save a big deal at the time. It didn’t begin to register until, “later that evening when I went home and kind of decompressed and spoke with a loved one about what had happened and had my time of clarity, of, oh, you know, my ah-ha moment of what I had just seen and been involved in,” she said. “That’s when you start think- ing about how bad it could have been.” Now Drefs and Rageth are best of friends. “She’s definitely a life- saver. She’s a hero,” Rageth said. Like all real-life heroes, Drefs says she’s not comfort- able with the label. “I’ve heard that word a lot of times over the last six to eight months since this inci- dent happened and I don’t consider myself that.” “If he wants to call me his hero, I’ll take that,” she said. “Blaine has gone through some tremendous things since his accident, not me. So when I think about a hero, or someone who overcomes ad- versity, Blaine’s that person. So maybe he’s my hero.” For risking her own life and helping save Blaine Rageth, the American Red Cross has awarded Officer Drefs with this year’s “Public Servant Hero Award.” Co-Workers for Couples for Co-Workers DQG WKeLr 6pouse6LJQLÀFDQW 2WKer $uJusW - - 3oWosL 02 Co-Workers Retreat Co-Workers oQl\ 6eptePEer  - 2FtoEer  - 3otosL 02 These retreats are FREE, as the price paid is already too high. 7UDYHOLVDWWKHH[SHQVHRIWKHSDUWLFLSDQW