When Michael Poles became a DC Firefighter six years ago, he never knew that sometimes the real action begins at quitting time.

Driving home to his apartment on 14th St., NW after completing his shift on Truck-3, Poles noticed several people standing around outside an apartment building at 3501 13th St., NW. He looked up and saw smoke billowing from a fifth floor apartment. What happened next is nothing short of heroic, the embodiment of the spirit which moves firefighters.

Poles ran into the building and up five flights of stairs. Amid heavy smoke, he began knocking on doors to find people still in the building. At the end of a hallway on the fifth floor, he encountered a locked door behind which were a young mother and her two daughters. They were afraid to leave their apartment. Thick smoke had already filled the hallway. The only thing between them and safety was firefighter Poles.

The 38-year-old firefighter managed to get the door open. He convinced the woman and girls to hold onto him as he led them through the smoke to the safety of the stairwell, where they then climbed down to the street.

"Michael deserves a lot of credit," said DC Fire/EMS Chief Ronnie Few. "It really demonstrates the level of dedication and sense of duty of all of our people."

Fire investigators have determined a 10-year-old boy playing with matches is the cause of the blaze, which displaced three people. Two people, a 59-year-old woman and a 74-year-old man were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries. Damage is estimated at $25,000.

For more information on the DC Fire/EMS Senior Fire Marshal Program, contact Lisa Bass or Alan Etter at (202) 673-3300.