NORWOOD, Ohio -- A police sergeant, officer and bystander teamed up to rescue a 7-month-old baby from a fire early Saturday morning, according to the Norwood Police Department.

The fire was in the basement of an apartment building on Moeller Avenue at about 5:30 a.m.

Sgt. Dave Lewis saw people leaning out the second floor when he arrived. The smoke was too intense for Lewis to lead them out, the department said.

He and two other officers -- Ryan Harrison and Bradley Chapman -- then heard a woman yelling around back. She was panicked, holding the baby and saying she couldn't breathe.

Harrison and Lewis tried to go through the back of the building to rescue her, but the heat and smoke were too intense there, too.

So Lewis had Harrison and a bystander, Ben Zoky, lift him toward the window, about 12 to 15 feet above ground. The woman handed the child down to him.

Norwood firefighters rescued the rest of the residents.

The police department credited the officers for remaining calm and putting the residents' safety ahead of their own.

"Their performance is the paradigm of the Norwood Police Department’s core values of professionalism and commitment," a Facebook post said. "Also a very special thank you to Norwood resident Ben Zoky for helping."