Officer Joe Esposito was on a routine patrol just after midnight on December 10, 2020, when he noticed an unusual amount of steam or smoke pouring out the roof of a River Street home. Officer Esposito went to investigate and saw flames coming from the attic space. He notified the fire department and started banging on the door of the home to wake up the family that was sleeping on the second floor. “There was actually one child on a top bunk that was within two feet of what was a raging inferno and didn’t even know about it,” Norwell Fire Chief Jeff Simpson said during a virtual board of selectmen meeting in which Esposito was present. Esposito helped firefighters safely evacuate the family, including three children and a dog. No one was hurt. Chief Simpson said the fire appeared to have started in the attic of the breezeway, spreading through the roof of the breezeway, up a side wall and into the attic of the main house. He said the smoke detectors didn’t sound because the fire was above them. Simpson said Officer Esposito is an experienced officer whose attentiveness and superior decision-making undoubtedly saved lives. “If Officer Esposito just kept driving on his routine patrol, everything would be different today,” Simpson added. “The family wouldn’t have gotten out.” Norwell Police Acting Chief Carol Brzuszek said the entire police department is proud of Esposito. “Good police work, good observation skills and some fate in there too – right place at the right time,” Chief Brzuszek said. “We’re so grateful that beautiful family is alive today because of his heroism.” Norwell Town Administrator Peter Morin said he planned to nominate Esposito for a Trooper George L. Hanna Memorial Award for Bravery, the highest award the state can bestow on a law enforcement officer. “The people of Norwell should feel safer because of people like Joe Esposito,” Morin said. “This is excellence in law enforcement and public safety.” Simpson also praised the work of his firefighters for saving the main house from being destroyed by the fire. “They did what I would have expected them to do, what they’re trained to do,” Simpson said. “They all agree with me, Joe made their jobs a little bit easier and saved a family.” “We need more people like Officer Esposito, Simpson added.