AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: JUNE 2017 13 Three cheers for the Denver Police department. They recently made a dying young girl’s dream come true. Six-year-old Olivia Gant is terminally ill with an un- treatable neurological disorder. She doesn’t have much time left. “She’s in intestinal failure,” Olivia’s mother, Kelly Gant, told the Denver Police. “We don’t know how much longer she has.” But police knew they could help with at least one item on the child’s bucket list. One of the things on her list was “to catch bad guys with the police.” The Denver Police Department did their very best and got Olivia a uniform and sent her out in a squad car with an officer. “With her medical condition, we’ve called 911 sev- eral times,” explains Gant. “Every time the ambulance comes, the police respond. She wanted to be like the ones that come help her.” Hats off to the folks that made a young girl’s dream come true W hen most peo- ple consider the dangers of a house fire, they almost always focus on the flames. But for those that respond to these calls, it’s the smoke you really have to worry about. In Nebraska, Officer Rob- bie Goering-Jensen (pic- tured at right) who risked his life crawling through a smoke-filled home to rescue three people, was awarded the Medal of Valor and named the Omaha Police Department’s Officer of the Year for 2016. Officer Goering-Jensen was feted at the annual Oma- ha Police Foundation awards luncheon at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, ac- cording to the Omaha World Herald. “Timing is everything, and I am just glad that I was in position to help someone in a time of need,” Goering- Jensen said. “It’s very humbling. I’m nobody special.” Goering-Jensen was one of two dozen officers that received honors and spe- cial commendations for the department’s burglary and gang units. Po l i c e C h i e f To d d Schmaderer said he’s proud of his team. “At a time in history when other major cities are struggling with com- munity relations, we are not,” Schmaderer said. “Our community partnerships are working.” Goering-Jensen was on patrol with a recruit when he spotted trouble. He called it in and quickly went to work. First he found the 84-year-old owner and helped him out of the build- ing. The man told the cop that his son, who was in a wheelchair, was still inside. He was getting the son to safety when he heard the wife screaming for help. He got her out too. All told, Goering-Jensen got five people out of the burning building safely. Goering-Jensenwasaward- ed the Lifesaving Medal and the Medal of Valor. He got them all out in time Above: Officer Robbie Goering-Jensen receives his award. RISE ABOVE 360 24/7 SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. ON DEMAND. Skywatch provides the deployable, capable, integrated surveillance system required by today’s law enforcement professionals to monitor key events and locations. With a wide variety of sensors to choose from, Skywatch can be tailored to fit any environment or budget. In a world that requires vision and flexibility, accept no compromises. SEE HOW AT WWW.FLIR.COM/APB