When Todd Morris left a doctor’s appointment on a bitterly cold Ohio morning, he expected a quiet drive home — not a daring rescue mission involving smoke, flames, and two very lucky dogs.
But for this quick-thinking school bus driver, retirement from law enforcement hasn’t dulled his instincts for stepping up when duty calls. Morris, a 54-year-old retired police officer and U.S. Army veteran, spotted ominous plumes of smoke while driving through Jackson Township.
“I recognized it as being not normal chimney smoke,” Morris said. Curiosity — and concern — drew him closer. As he turned a corner, he realized the burning house belonged to two children on his elementary school bus route. With schools closed due to subzero temperatures, he feared the kids were inside.
Lady, the Fisher family dog. Photo by Todd Morris
“I started knocking on the door and yelling out the kids’ names,” Morris said. When no one answered, he channeled his training. “I’ve had to open a door a time or two,” he said, recalling how he kicked in the locked entry to make his way through the door. Inside, thick smoke billowed as flames climbed upstairs. Morris repeatedly braved the haze, shouting for occupants and ducking outside to gasp for air.
The smoke was getting pretty heavy,” he said.
His search soon revealed two terrified dogs — Cash, a German shepherd, and Lady, an American bulldog mix — huddled at the stairs. “I got them out of the house and took another good breath, then went back in,” Morris said. He carried Cash, who struggled to walk, to safety. Moments later, the kitchen ceiling began collapsing, but Morris was confident he’d “cleared the house and got everyone out safely.” Firefighters arrived shortly after, dousing the fire.
The home’s residents, Matt Fisher and his family, were at work and school, respectively, while Fisher’s mother watched the children elsewhere. “I was instantly panicked because I knew the dogs were there,” Fisher said, relieved Morris saved Cash and Lady. Tragically, the family cat, Jack, perished. “It’s just so devastating. It’s unbelievable,” Fisher said.
Cash, the Fisher family’s German shepherd. Photo by Todd Morris
Gratitude overwhelmed Fisher when he met Morris afterward. “I was like, ‘I don’t know if you want a hug, I just have to give you one,’” Fisher said. “Todd really came through. I don’t have the words.” Morris shrugged off the praise. “I was simply in the right place at the right time,” he said. “The real heroes are the guys that showed up after me. They do this day after day.”
But Morris didn’t stop at heroics. He whisked the dogs to his home, where his wife pampered them. “She brushed them out, got them cleaned up,” Morris said. The pair then joined Morris’ son and four dogs in a “gigantic cuddle puddle,” he said, laughing.
The Jackson Local School District lauded Morris’ bravery. “His instinct to act without hesitation in a moment of crisis is a testament to his character,” said Chris DiLoreto, the district’s superintendent. Meanwhile, the Fisher family, whose home was deemed “a total loss,” found solace in community support. A friend’s GoFundMe raised more than $27,000, leaving Fisher emotional. “It’s just amazing,” he said. “It tears me up.”
For Morris, his mission isn’t over. “My biggest thing now is to do all I can to help,” he said. “Every little bit matters.”
