Anaheim woman meets ADT operator who saved dog, home from fire

ANAHEIM, Calif. (KABC) -- ADT security systems operator David Tompkins made a 911 call that saved Amber Cooper's dog and home from a fire.

On Friday, Tompkins flew 2,500 miles to meet Cooper at her Anaheim home.

Cooper was not at home when she got the call from Tompkins informing her of the fire. She asked him to make sure that Fiona, her Yorkshire-terrier mix, was safe.

Firefighters responded after getting the call and were able to get to work swiftly to save Fiona and the home.

"There was smoke almost down to the ground," Anaheim Fire and Rescue captain Dan Lecon said. "Visibility was very low. As soon as we made entry, we walked through the house and opened a secondary door. The dog ran out of the house actually into the backyard."

Firefighters contained the fire to just under the kitchen sink and made sure that Fiona was safely removed from danger.

"That was awesome to actually be able to meet the person who took the call, placed the call and made sure that everything was taken care of so quickly," Cooper said.

Firefighters are using Cooper and Tompkins' story as an example of why it is so critical to make sure that fire alarms are working and plans are made for pets in emergencies.

"It means a lot that I helped somebody out before they lose their house or her family pet," Tompkins said.