Franklin County Sheriff Jim Karnes applauded the life-saving efforts of seven of his deputies during the September 12th apartment fire that killed 10 people.
At a news conference, Sheriff Karnes praised his deputies quick response time and their efforts to save lives at the fire scene.
Karnes says he will seek to have the deputies given a distinguished service award from the Buckeye State Sheriff's Association.
He says deputies began arriving on the scene within one minute of being dispatched.
Karnes says officers entered the building and evacuated residents by knocking on doors and windows to alert them to the fire. one deputy, Andrew Bohsoh, spoke Spanish, the native language of the fire victims.
Local hispanic groups have been critical of authorities for not being able to understand the apartment complex residents. But Sheriff Karnes says having bi-lingual officers would be helpful, but it's not a department requirement that officers be fluent in languages other than english.
He says immigrants to this country should learn to speak our language, adding that most new immigrants know one word, jail.
The fire has been ruled arson and the sheriff's department continues its investigation to find the person or persons responsible.