Puna officer honored for fire response, police work

The Aloha Exchange Club of East Hawaii saluted Puna Patrol Officer Conrad Bidal on Thursday as the East Hawaii Officer of the Month for February.

Bidal, who has less than a year of service with the Police Department, was honored for what Sgt. William Derr described as his “extreme courage” while evacuating occupants of apartments above Luquin’s restaurant during a midnight fire that destroyed the structure.

Noticing lights on the second floor of the building after the fire was in progress, Bidal went inside and conducted a search for occupants. He found four people and evacuated them. When he went back to make sure no one else was inside, the occupants returned to retrieve personal belongings. As Bidal completed the task of evacuating them a second time, the building became fully engulfed in flames.

“The loss of Pahoa landmarks Akebono Theatre and Luquin’s Mexican Restaurant could have been much more tragic had it not been for Officer Bidal’s intervention,” Derr wrote in nomination papers.

Bidal also was recognized for his work in solving a burglary while he was a recruit working with a field training officer. In that investigation, Bidal obtained fingerprints from the burglary scene that matched a suspect later discovered in surveillance video footage.

“Officer Bidal’s courage, work ethic and exemplary application of forensic skill so early in his career are to be applauded,” Derr wrote.