Fire Marshal Jason Rutherford called it “the fun part of my job” as he stood before Bandera County officials on April 10 to present the Hero Kid Award to 10-year-old Alaina Rochelle Ribera for her calm and courageous actions during a house fire last month.
Ribera was recognized during the Commissioner’s Court meeting alongside Bandera County Communications Supervisor Amber Chupp and AACOG 911 technician Vangie Dovalina, who presented the award. Rutherford praised Ribera’s composure under pressure.
“This gal demonstrated calmness and knew exactly what to do,” he said. “She just performed very well, and it’s awesome to be able to recognize her today.”
The team also presented Ribera with a gift card to help replace some of the items she lost in the fire.
Rutherford also honored dispatcher Meghan Smith, whose guidance helped Ribera through the emergency.
“On the other side of the phone line, this young lady guided Alaina very well,” he said. “I was just in awe of how she handled it. The first thing she recognized was the smoke detectors in the background. She said, ‘Is that a smoke detector I hear?’ When Alaina said yes, she told her, ‘I need y’all to get out of the house.’” Rutherford said Smith’s professionalism “reflects the highest standard of conduct for emergency service personnel and brings great credit to the Bandera County Sheriff’s Office.”
In an interview with the Bulletin, Ribera recalled the events of March 9 in remarkable detail: “My name is Alaina Rochelle Ribera and I am 10 years old. I lived with my great-grandmother in Bandera County on Elm Pass Road since I was a baby. Up until the incident, I had never experienced any real emergency before.
Alaina Ribera receives the Hero Kid Award at Commissioners Court on April 10. From left to right: Fire Marshal, Jason Rutherford, Alaina Ribera, Communications Supervisor, Amber Chupp, and AACOG 911 Technician, Vangie Dovalina. BULLETIN PHOTO/ Tracy Thayer
“That morning I was sleeping in my bedroom in the back of the house. My great-grandmother was in the living room watching TV and letting me sleep in late. She put a candle under my ferret’s cage before taking a nap in the recliner. I woke up to the fire alarm and thought, ‘Oh, she just burned something in the kitchen,’ until I entered the living room and saw my pet’s cage was on fire.
“I grabbed a cup of water to put it out, which only helped enough for me to reach in and grab her. I found mygreat-grandmother’sphone and called 911. The dispatcher told me to get out of the house before anything else.
“My great-grandmother didn’t want to leave. She started tossing baking soda on the fire, but there wasn’t enough to put it out. The dispatcher told us again to get out. My great-grandmother kept arguing and refusing to leave, so I took her arm and pulled her from the house. I grabbed my pet chicks by the back door and escaped.
“The dispatcher stayed on the line until the fire department and paramedics arrived. Her voice made me feel calm and safe, and I’m so happy I ended up with her when I called.
“My ferret thankfully lived—though her whiskers are curly and her fur is singed. It was very frightening and has affected me a lot mentally and emotionally, but looking back, I was very lucky. I’m very happy that my pets and great-grandmother lived.
“I’d like to thank my parents and great-grandmother for training me on what to do in a fire, and my counselor Miss B for helping me work through it. A big thank-you to the Bandera Fire Department, the paramedics and sheriffs who showed up— and of course the dispatcher who talked me through it all.
“I live with my parents and my ferret now, far from Bandera. I’ll miss being a ‘Bandera girl,’ but now that I’m home with my family, I’ve never been happier. It’s the one thing I’ve always wished for—every time I picked a dandelion or blew out birthday candles. Of course, it’ll probably be a long time before we light a candle again! Lol.”
As she finished telling her story, Ribera grinned and asked a reporter, “Does this mean I’m famous?”
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