Firefighters across 22 departments honored at Massachusetts Firefighter of the Year Awards

WORCESTER — Governor Maura T. Healey and Public Safety Secretary Terrence M. Reidy Tuesday joined State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine to honor firefighters from across Massachusetts at the 34th annual Firefighter of the Year Awards ceremony. WCVB’s Doug Meehan emceed the event at Mechanics Hall in Worcester.

“Each year, the Firefighter of the Year Awards recognize acts of bravery, heroism, and service that are truly remarkable – even by the remarkable standards set by Massachusetts firefighters,” said Governor Healey. “From structure fires to rushing waters, this year’s recipients defied grave danger to protect lives and preserve property. It’s an honor to celebrate them as individuals and teams. They represent the very finest in a tradition of helping others in times of danger and crisis.”

“Massachusetts firefighters have an extraordinary capacity for bravery, technical knowledge, and kindness toward those in their greatest moment of need,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “As a former mayor now serving in statewide office, my admiration of the fire service has only grown when I consider the varied, complex scenes they respond to every day across our 351 cities and towns. Congratulations to this year’s award recipients, and continued safety to those who do this work.”

“The Firefighter of the Year awards are a chance to recognize and honor the heroes who serve our communities with unwavering courage, sacrifice, and compassion,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Reidy. “This distinguished award is reserved for those individuals who demonstrate exceptional bravery, risking personal safety and delivering life-saving service to rescue strangers from harm.”

“The firefighters we recognize today used every physical, mental, and technical skill available to them under some of the most extreme conditions imaginable,” said State Fire Marshal Davine. “They relied on their training, their teamwork, and their determination to get the job done. It’s my great honor to thank them for their service to the Commonwealth and their communities, and to congratulate them on this well-deserved recognition.”

Governor Healey, Secretary Reidy, and State Fire Marshal Davine presented seven medals of valor, 12 individual citations for meritorious conduct, 10 group citations for meritorious conduct, two Stephen D. Coan Fire Marshal’s Awards, and one Norman Knight Award for Excellence in Community Service to members of 22 Massachusetts fire departments. In total, 130 firefighters were recognized.

Most of the awards reflected lifesaving rescues performed individually and collectively by on- and off-duty firefighters at structure fires and crash sites. The Steven D. Coan Fire Marshal’s Awards, named for Massachusetts’ longest-serving fire marshal, was presented to personnel who managed two lengthy and complex operations: the Feb. 7, 2023, 10-alarm fire at Signature Brockton Hospital, the largest response in that city’s history, and a mass casualty incident following a vehicle crash in the Apple Store in Hingham on Nov. 21, 2022. The Norman Knight Award for Excellence in Community Service, named for the philanthropist who has raised and coordinated benefits to the families of countless fallen firefighters and police officers, was presented to the fire prevention and education officer for Sunderland Fire Department, who helped develop a first responder training program that sets professional standards for respectfully and professionally interacting with members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

The awards and recipients are as follows:

Medals of Valor:

Holbrook – Lieutenant Andrew Johnson, Firefighter/EMT Edward F. Baker, Jr, Firefighter/Paramedic Patrick Campbell, Firefighter/Paramedic John M. Holland, Firefighter/Paramedic David Martineau
Nantucket – Captain Nate Barber
New Bedford Fire Department – Lieutenant Steven Torres

Governor’s Citation for Meritorious Conduct (Individual)

Chelmsford – Firefighter Josh Abbott
East Longmeadow (with West Springfield) – Firefighter/Paramedic Matthew Adams, Firefighter/Paramedic Bryan Drury
Everett – Firefighter Michael O’Donnell, Private Ian Tweeddale
Lawrence – Firefighter Paul King
Longmeadow – Deputy Chief Gerald Macsata
Lynn (with New Bedford, Somerville, and Whitman) – Lieutenant Mathew Reddy
New Bedford (with Lynn, Somerville, and Whitman) – Firefighter William Cabral
Somerville (with Lynn, New Bedford, and Whitman) – Lieutenant Jay Colbert
West Springfield (with East Longmeadow) – Firefighter/Paramedic Nick LaPalme
Whitman (with Lynn, New Bedford, and Somerville) – Firefighter/Paramedic Richard MacKinnon

Governor’s Citations for Meritorious Conduct (Group)

Ashland (With Hopkinton) – Lieutenant Anthony Duca
Brockton – Captain Michael McKenna, Lieutenant James Dubeau, Firefighter Ryan Doherty, Firefighter Elisha Eleyi, Firefighter Corey Lacey, Firefighter Edward Lee, Firefighter James Nee
Chelsea – Captain Michael Gurska, Firefighter Cristian D. Avellaneda, Firefighter Steven Waxman
Chicopee – Deputy Chief Peter Jerusik, Captain Robert McQueen, Lieutenant Robert M. Tetreault, Lieutenant Kirsten Therrien, Firefighter Adam Anischik, Firefighter Preston Bailey, Firefighter Joe Berge, Firefighter Drew Brzoska, Firefighter Nathan Carvalho, Firefighter Rember Wildami Parada, Firefighter John Skaza, Firefighter Matthew Turgeon, Firefighter Tyler R. Vaccaro
Hingham (with Rockland and Weymouth) – Deputy Chief David Levenson, Deputy Chief Louis Lachance, Captain Nathaniel H. Winnie Sr, Lieutenant Chris DiNapoli, Lieutenant Michael Giese, Lieutenant Tom Jacintho, Lieutenant Sarah Joy, Lieutenant Dave Nickerson, Firefighter Alex Bailey, Firefighter/Paramedic Thomas Betschart, Firefighter Angela Clancy, Firefighter Tim Holmes, Firefighter/Paramedic Kevin McMasters, Firefighter Nichole Pinkus, Firefighter Pat Sheridan, Firefighter Ryan Twombly
Hopkinton (with Ashland) – Deputy Chief Gary Daugherty Jr, Lieutenant John Sheridan, Firefighter Jim Gosselin, Firefighter Maxwell Hoadley, Firefighter Douglas R. Lewis III, Firefighter Jarrod Taranto
Nantucket – Deputy Chief Robert G. Bates Jr. (Ret.), Deputy Chief Sean Mitchell, Captain Jeffrey Allen (Ret.), Captain Nate Barber, Call Captain Earl C Eldridge, Captain Francis M. Hanlon, Captain Charles Kymer, Captain Kevin Ramos, Captain Joe Townsend, Firefighter Dave Angelastro, Firefighter Beau Barber, Firefighter Jason Barker, Firefighter Ivo Baychev, Firefighter Mario Cameron, Firefighter Matthew J. Canty, Firefighter Germano Chatti, Call Firefighter Mac Davis, Firefighter Ethan Fey, Firefighter Michael Finnegan, Firefighter Christopher Gould, Firefighter Chris Holland, Firefighter Scott Holmes, Firefighter Alana Macey, Firefighter Mack McGrath, Firefighter Shawn Monaco (Ret.), Firefighter David Pekarcik, Firefighter Shane Perry, Firefighter Corey Ray, Firefighter Alex Rezendes
New Bedford – Captain Michael Dillon, Lieutenant Ernest Letendre, Firefighter Kyle Martin, Firefighter Jonathan Parkin, Firefighter Renald Russo III
New Bedford – District Chief Steven Beaulieu, District Chief Gary Raposa, Lieutenant Jason Beaulieu, Lieutenant Kevin Farnworth, Lieutenant Daniel Jackson, Firefighter Jason Barker, Firefighter Nicholas Corvi, Firefighter Jesse Andrade, Firefighter Bryce Fortes, Firefighter Kenneth Letourneau, Firefighter Mark Pacheco, Firefighter Derek Santos
New Bedford – District Chief Scott Gomes, Captain Kenneth A. Silva Jr, Temp Lieutenant Marco Delima, Temp Lieutenant Brandon Medeiros, Lieutenant Louis Miranda, Lieutenant Steven Torres, Firefighter Moises Rodriguez
Rockland (with Hingham and Weymouth) – Deputy Chief Thomas L. Heaney
Stoneham – Firefighter Andrew Chabak, Firefighter Mike Paone, Firefighter Nick Rolli
Weymouth (with Hingham and Rockland) – Deputy Chief Steven Murray, Lieutenant James Patrick Marcella, Firefighter Jimmy Irrizarry, Firefighter Eric Murray, Firefighter Brad L. Sherrick

Stephen D. Coan Fire Marshal Award

Brockton – Deputy Chief Scott Albanese, Deputy Chief Jeff Marchetti
Hingham – Deputy Chief David Levenson

Norman Knight Award for Excellence in Community Service

Sunderland – Lieutenant Matthew Morin

Since their inception in 1990, the Firefighter of the Year Awards have grown from a simple ceremony to the premier annual event for the Massachusetts fire service, honoring truly remarkable acts of courage, service, and sacrifice by the Commonwealth’s firefighters and recognizing their invaluable contributions to the communities they serve.

2023 Firefighter of the Year Recipients and Incident Summaries

Hopkinton Fire Department

Deputy Chief Gary Daugherty Jr, Lieutenant John Sheridan, Firefighter Jim Gosselin, Firefighter Maxwell Hoadley, Firefighter Douglas R. Lewis III, Firefighter Jarrod Taranto

Ashland Fire Department

Lieutenant Anthony Duca

Shortly after 1:10 a.m. on April 9,2023, the Hopkinton Fire Department responded to Hayward Street for a report of a structure fire. The first crews on scene found heavy fire showing, no smoke alarms activating, and bystanders reporting that two people were still in the building. While firefighters attacked the fire from the outside, Lt. John Sheridan ordered a second alarm, requested mutual aid, and shifted his focus to rescuing the occupants. Deputy Chief Gary Daugherty, Jr., who is currently serving as the Department’s Interim Chief, arrived moments later and the two men immediately undertook efforts to get inside, only to find one entrance winterized and blocked by furniture. Once they made entry, they began a search and quickly located an adult male inside. They removed him from the building and transferred his care to the crews outside. Deputy Chief Daugherty and Lt. Sheridan then returned to the building to search for the second person and found her in a rear bedroom. During a very challenging patient extrication through an interior hallway dense with smoke, Lt. Anthony Duca from the Ashland Fire Department helped remove the occupant to the crews outside. Both occupants were taken to Milford Regional Medical Center. Tragically, the first patient succumbed to his injuries soon afterward. But thanks to the simultaneous search, rescue, fire attack, and patient care undertaken by personnel at the scene, the second survived long enough for her family members to say goodbye.

Brockton Fire Department

Captain Michael McKenna, Lieutenant James Dubeau, Firefighter Ryan Doherty, Firefighter Elisha Eleyi, Firefighter Corey Lacey, Firefighter Edward Lee, Firefighter James Nee

The Brockton Fire Department was called to a fire in a multi-family home shortly before 1:00 a.m. on February 12, 2023. On arrival, firefighters saw heavy fire on the upper floors and several people who were trapped by fire coming up the stairs. As flames tore through the second and third floors, pushing toward the occupants, Captain Michael McKenna ordered Firefighters James Nee and Ryan Doherty to stretch a hose line to the side of the building. Lt. James Dubeau directed Firefighters Edward Lee, Corey Lacey, and Elisha Eleyi to throw a ground ladder to the victims’ location. As an aerial ladder was being brought into position, and facing heavy smoke, fire, and high heat, the crews were able to rescue five people through the window, over the ground ladder, and down to safety. All seven occupants, most of them teenagers, were brought to Good Samaritan Medical Center for injuries that were not life-threatening. The cause of the fire was a bedroom candle – just one more reminder that even big fires start small.

Brockton Fire Department

Deputy Chief Scott Albanese, Deputy Chief Jeff Marchetti

At about 7:00 a.m. on February 7, 2023, the Brockton Fire Department received a master box alarm that could have spelled disaster – a fire at Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital, one of the area’s busiest medical centers. The fire, which began in an electrical room, was extending to storage rooms and the cafeteria. Heavy smoke and elevated carbon monoxide readings were spreading through the building. The fire couldn’t be attacked until the power was shut off, and patients couldn’t receive adequate care without that power. More than 180 patients and all the staff providing their care were at severe risk and had to be either discharged or evacuated as the dire threat bore down on them.

Members of the Brockton Fire Department’s Group 2 who were on duty that morning were preparing to hand off to members of Group 1, who were coming on shift – fortunately doubling the personnel available for this massive undertaking. In the hours that followed, the fire went to 10 alarms, and fire, rescue, and EMS personnel from across the region responded to assist. Patients from stable to critical condition, including newborns and women in labor, were rescued through stairwells, sometimes carried down five flights of stairs, because the elevators were non-operational. Well over 100 ambulances, wheelchair vans, and firefighting apparatus responded to transport patients, attack the fire, and ensure the safety of hospital personnel. By the time all patients were evacuated and the fire was brought under control at about 3:15 p.m., not a single injury was reported.

The Brockton Hospital fire was the largest response in the City of Brockton’s history. It was a massive logistical, operational, and accountability challenge at the intersection of public safety and public health. It required the highest levels of professionalism at every level. In every stage of the response, the Brockton Fire Department delivered. The Stephen D. Coan Fire Marshal’s Award is presented to Deputy Chiefs Scott Albanese and Jeff Marchetti on behalf of all those who took part.

Chelmsford Fire Department

Firefighter Josh Abbott

On the afternoon of June 17, 2023, Chelmsford Firefighter Josh Abbott was driving back from a camping trip in New Hampshire with his wife and two kids. As he passed through East Kingston, he came upon a single-car collision with an occupant trapped inside. The vehicle had crashed into a utility pole just moments before, and the only public safety presence was another off-duty firefighter who had stopped to help. The vehicle was on fire and the passenger compartment was filled with smoke. Without any PPE and disregarding his own personal safety, Firefighter Abbott stopped his car and quickly jumped into action to assist the other firefighter. He and his New Hampshire counterpart freed the injured driver and removed her from the car seconds before it exploded and became fully engulfed. The woman was taken by ambulance to an area hospital – injured but alive, thanks to Firefighter Abbott’s bold and decisive action.

Chelsea Fire Department

Captain Michael Gurska, Firefighter Cristian D. Avellaneda, Firefighter Steven Waxman

Shortly after midnight on August 17, 2022, Chelsea firefighters responded to Cottage Street for a triple-decker house fire with reports of people trapped inside. Upon arrival, they faced heavy fire on all floors in the rear of the building and saw an occupant trying to escape the flames through a third-floor window. Firefighter Cristian Avellaneda urged this person not to jump as he and Firefighter Steven Waxman threw a 35’ ground ladder with the assistance of bystanders. Captain Michael Gurska and Firefighter Avellaneda then climbed the ladder and helped the occupant down to safety. All the other occupants were able to escape on their own. Six people, including two firefighters, were transported to the hospital for medical care. The fire went to five alarms, but firefighters were able to contain it to the building of origin.

Chicopee Fire Department

Deputy Chief Peter Jerusik, Captain Robert McQueen, Lieutenant Robert M. Tetreault, Lieutenant Kirsten Therrien, Firefighter Adam Anischik, Firefighter Preston Bailey, Firefighter Joe Berge, Firefighter Drew Brzoska, Firefighter Nathan Carvalho, Firefighter Rember Wildami Parada, Firefighter John Skaza, Firefighter Matthew Turgeon, Firefighter Tyler R. Vaccaro

Shortly after midnight on Christmas Eve 2022, Chicopee firefighters responded to a structure fire on Chicopee Street with a child trapped on the third floor. With ten-degree temperatures causing immediate icing and water supply issues, they battled both the elements and the heavy fire blocking their access from the porch. Lt. Robert Tetreault began a transitional attack to suppress that raging fire and allow entry. While the crews continued to attack the fire, Lt. Kirsten Therrien stretched a second hose line up a ground ladder to their position. The combination of hose lines knocked down the fire, allowing Captain Robert McQueen and Firefighter John Skaza to make entry. With the assistance of Firefighter Adam Anischik, they were able to locate and rescue the young boy. The drastic difference in temperature from the fire room to the exterior caused Captain McQueen’s SCBA facepiece to fog and freeze up, limiting his visibility as he descended the stairs. District Chief Peter Jerusik met them on the second floor and brought the child outside to the awaiting ambulance. The child had no pulse and was not breathing. EMTs resuscitated him enroute to the hospital, along with a family member who had also been rescued from the home. Tragically, the young boy’s injuries were too severe, and he succumbed to those injuries several days later. But the fact that every step in this incredible response was accomplished within 10 minutes of the initial 9-1-1 call gave his loved ones the chance to say goodbye in a place of peace and dignity.

East Longmeadow Fire Department

Firefighter/Paramedic Matthew Adams, Firefighter/Paramedic Bryan Drury

West Springfield Fire Department

Firefighter/Paramedic Nick LaPalme

East Longmeadow Firefighter/Paramedics Matthew Adams and Bryan Drury were competing in the annual Westfield River Wild Water Canoe Race on April 22, 2023, when another racer suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. The man, an older adult in his 70s, fell out of his canoe and began drifting down the river. Firefighters Adams and Drury recognized the emergency and pulled the man to shore. They were joined by off-duty West Springfield Firefighter/Paramedic Nick LaPalme, who initiated CPR. The location, along the CSX railroad tracks, is densely wooded and remote, and police had to shut down the railway as additional first responders searched for the scene. Refusing to give up, the paramedics performed CPR for 30 minutes until they could transfer care to local EMTs. Sadly, despite those heroic efforts, the man was pronounced deceased at the nearest hospital.

Everett Fire Department

Firefighter Michael O’Donnell, Private Ian Tweeddale

On the afternoon of October 13, 2022, Everett firefighters arrived at a metal recycling and disposal site for a chilling call: an employee had become entangled in a giant shredding machine, with his lower left leg wedged between the gears. After exhausting all other options, a surgeon was rushed to the scene and tasked with removing the man’s leg. Dozens of Everett Fire Department personnel and mutual aid were onsite for hours, but two firefighters stood out for their efforts during the ordeal. Throughout the incident, Firefighter Michael O’Donnell and Private Ian Tweeddale provided comfort and support to the man, while risking their own safety as they straddled the gears of the shredder. During the amputation itself, Firefighter O’Donnell assisted the surgeon with the procedure. The patient was extricated and brought to the hospital, where he received additional treatment and survived.

Hingham Fire Department

Deputy Chief David Levenson, Deputy Chief Louis Lachance, Captain Nathaniel H. Winnie Sr, Lieutenant Chris DiNapoli, Lieutenant Michael Giese, Lieutenant Tom Jacintho, Lieutenant Sarah Joy, Lieutenant Dave Nickerson, Firefighter Alex Bailey, Firefighter/Paramedic Thomas Betschart, Firefighter Angela Clancy, Firefighter Tim Holmes, Firefighter/Paramedic Kevin McMasters, Firefighter Nichole Pinkus, Firefighter Pat Sheridan, Firefighter Ryan Twombly

Rockland Fire Department

Deputy Chief Thomas L. Heaney

Weymouth Fire Department

Deputy Chief Steven Murray, Lieutenant James Patrick Marcella, Firefighter Jimmy Irrizarry, Firefighter Eric Murray, Firefighter Brad L. Sherrick

One year ago today, at about 10:45 am, an SUV slammed through a glass wall and into the Apple Store located at the Derby Shops in Hingham. Initial 9-1-1 calls suggested eight to 10 injured people, but responding personnel found more than double that number – including many with life-threating injuries. Every available Hingham company responded to the scene, along with mutual aid from Weymouth and Rockland.

Hingham Deputy Chief David Levenson was the first firefighter on scene and observed a mass casualty incident in the truest sense of that term. Employees and shoppers had suffered grievous injuries, and several people were pinned between the SUV and the back wall. But this was no ordinary wall – it was 1½”-thick Corian stone attached with steel studs. Between that wall and the plate glass at the front of the store, thousands of pounds of glass and stone were hanging precariously above critically injured patients and their rescuers.

In the minutes and hours that followed, fire/rescue personnel treated and extricated more than 20 badly injured patients from a literal disaster area. Surrounded by utter chaos, with 800-pound tables pinning additional victims, fire and anti-theft alarms going off, lithium-ion batteries and devices smoking or actively burning, and the driver still behind the wheel of the SUV, these men and women brought all their skills, training, and tools to the task of saving lives.

Under the direction of Deputy Chief Levenson, who oversaw rescue operations, they rescued six patients who had been pinned between the vehicle, the wall, and the tables – a process that involved the Jaws of Life, Sawzall tools, and a tow truck to winch the vehicle inch by inch until the victims were free.

Sadly, one patient suffered mortal injuries and died at the scene. But every other patient who was transported survived – and medical staff later made clear that the personnel on scene that day made the difference between life and death for many of their patients.

Holbrook Fire Department

Lieutenant Andrew Johnson, Firefighter/EMT Edward F. Baker, Jr, Firefighter/Paramedic Patrick Campbell, Firefighter/Paramedic John M. Holland, Firefighter/Paramedic David Martineau

When Holbrook firefighters arrived at a fire on Belcher Street in the early morning of January 13, 2023, they found heavy smoke in the area, electrical wires dangerously close to the structure, and the building itself well involved with fire. Moments earlier, police officers had helped an older adult escape through the basement, but her husband was still inside – and the intensifying smoke and fire made it impossible to say where. Meanwhile, a third person was trapped on the roof after escaping a third-floor apartment.

Firefighters immediately moved to rescue both of the trapped residents. Lieutenant Andrew Johnson and Firefighter David Martineau successfully rescued the resident on the roof over two ground ladders. Meanwhile, Firefighters John Holland and Patrick Campbell entered the basement to search for the missing occupant while Firefighter Edward Baker stretched an attack line to the rear of the building. Without a charged hose line, facing heavy fire, and being electrocuted by the buildings failing electrical system, they pushed on with a search of the basement, where they found a medical walker but no victims. They continued their search until conditions deteriorated so badly that they were forced to retreat.

Firefighters Holland and Campbell re-entered the basement, now with the hose line from Engine 2. They were able to knock down the fire but could not find the missing occupant. Firefighters Holland and Martineau then entered the first-floor apartment, where they located the unconscious third occupant and started to remove him through near-zero visibility. During this process, Firefighter Martineau suddenly fell through a section of the dining room floor but by strength and steady composure he was able to stop his fall mid-torso, extricate himself, and continue with the rescue.

Sadly, the third victim – a man in his 90s – succumbed to his injuries at the hospital, but two others survived the four-alarm fire thanks to the decisive and heroic efforts by all involved personnel.

Lawrence Fire Department

Firefighter Paul King

Shortly after midnight on May 22, 2023, the Lawrence Fire Department responded from a nearby box alarm to Haverhill Road near the Spicket River for a reported car over the bridge. On arrival, they found a vehicle upside down in the water. As crews started to don their survival suits, witnesses stated that the driver was drowning. Firefighter Paul King, the chauffeur on Ladder 5, determined that the driver’s life was in grave danger. In his Class B uniform, he fought his way through the fast-moving river, opened the door and found the driver struggling to breathe. Firefighter King pulled the man to safety, and when the man said two others were still inside, he returned to the submerged vehicle ready to make additional rescues. Finding no one, Firefighter King came back to shore and coordinated a high angle technical rescue to raise the patient to EMTs, who were about 15 feet above. Dive teams did an extensive search and fortunately found no indication of anyone else in the water.

Longmeadow Fire Department

Deputy Chief Gerald Macsata

On the evening of October 20, 2022, Longmeadow Deputy Chief Gerald Macsata was on his way home from his shift when he heard the call come in for a residential structure fire. He was first to arrive and found an older adult on the front steps with heavy smoke showing from the front door and eaves of the ranch style home. When he asked if anyone else was in the house, the man was unable to speak. Deputy Chief Macsata immediately began a 360-degree size-up and spotted another older adult inside a smoke-filled room. With no protective gear, he entered the front door through heavy smoke and made his way down a hallway to the bedroom where he found the woman weak and confused. He was able to escort her quickly outside. Both residents were transported to the hospital, injured but alive – and released the next day.

Lynn Fire Department

Lieutenant Mathew Reddy

New Bedford Fire Department

Firefighter William Cabral

Somerville Fire Department

Lieutenant Jay Colbert

Whitman Fire Department

Firefighter/Paramedic Richard MacKinnon

On January 27, 2023, off-duty firefighters from across Massachusetts were on a flight to Las Vegas, Nevada, for an annual leadership conference hosted by the International Association of Fire Fighters. During the flight, an 85-year-old man went unconscious and collapsed inside the bathroom. And when the flight crew asked for assistance, they got it. Lieutenants Jay Colbert and Mathew Reddy and Firefighters William Cabral and Richard MacKinnon, representing the fire departments of Somerville, Lynn, New Bedford, and Whitman, immediately jumped up to help. They removed him to the aisle and began CPR, including IV access and medication administration. Working with a nurse who was also onboard, these firefighters worked to administer CPR to the patient for more than 90 minutes while his family looked on and their flight was diverted to Omaha, Nebraska. Once on the ground they briefed the awaiting EMS crew for continued care and transport.

Nantucket Fire Department

Deputy Chief Robert G. Bates Jr. (Ret.), Deputy Chief Sean Mitchell, Captain Jeffrey Allen (Ret.), Captain Nate Barber, Call Captain Earl C Eldridge, Captain Francis M. Hanlon, Captain Charles Kymer, Captain Kevin Ramos, Captain Joe Townsend, Firefighter Dave Angelastro, Firefighter Beau Barber, Firefighter Jason Barker, Firefighter Ivo Baychev, Firefighter Mario Cameron, Firefighter Matthew J. Canty, Firefighter Germano Chatti, Call Firefighter Mac Davis, Firefighter Ethan Fey, Firefighter Michael Finnegan, Firefighter Christopher Gould, Firefighter Chris Holland, Firefighter Scott Holmes, Firefighter Alana Macey, Firefighter Mack McGrath, Firefighter Shawn Monaco (Ret.), Firefighter David Pekarcik, Firefighter Shane Perry, Firefighter Corey Ray, Firefighter Alex Rezendes

At about 6:45 a.m. on July 9, 2022, Nantucket Public Safety Dispatch began receiving calls for a structure fire at the historic Veranda House Hotel in downtown Nantucket. The 10,000 square-foot, wood-framed building was nearly 400 years old and well-known to firefighters because of its size, location, and construction. En route to the fire, Captain Jeffrey Allen could already see smoke and knew the possibility for disaster: it was one of the hotel’s busiest weekends of the year. He requested mutual aid from Cape Cod, knowing it would take hours for them to arrive on the island and get to the scene.

At about the same time, Captain Nate Barber was off-duty and getting coffee with his wife. He saw the heavy smoke and ran to the hotel. He met a man who had just escaped and said that his son was still inside upstairs. Unable to enter through the door because of heavy heat and smoke, Captain Barber used a small table to climb to the first-floor roof and then to the second story dormer, where he went through a small window. He searched the room and entered the smoky hallway. He found two people and led them through another room and onto a deck. The deck was beginning to catch fire beneath them, but a neighbor spotted them and placed a ground ladder for them to safely evacuate to the ground. He then re-entered the building with no protective gear to search for any other trapped occupants.

Captain Barber went on to lead a crew of firefighters for approximately two hours, without rest, until he was forced to go to the hospital due to exhaustion. For the next three hours, every available Nantucket firefighter fought this fire with everything they had to protect the neighborhood from a conflagration. They made multiple entries into the exposed buildings to keep the fire at bay and to keep it from spreading further. It wasn’t until early afternoon that mutual aid from the Cape started to arrive.

Captain Barber suffered a heart attack while working at the scene and returned to work two months later. Two other firefighters suffered smoke inhalation and exhaustion, and a fourth suffered a back injury while narrowly escaping a flashover on the second floor of the left side exposure fire. But after more than 12 hours of holding the line against impossible odds, crews were able to contain the massive fire to the hotel and two exposure buildings – protecting the surrounding neighborhood. All occupants and staff made it out safely and there were no civilian injuries.

New Bedford Fire Department

Captain Michael Dillon, Lieutenant Ernest Letendre, Firefighter Kyle Martin, Firefighter Jonathan Parkin, Firefighter Renald Russo III

On the afternoon of March 28, 2023, the New Bedford Fire Department was called to Acushnet Avenue for a fire in a rooming house, with some residents trapped and others jumping from the windows. On arrival, they found the four-story building already well involved, with occupants in the windows of the upper stories. A general alarm was declared, with all members reporting along with mutual aid from surrounding communities.

Firefighters at the scene went to work immediately, making heroic efforts to rescue the occupants. Ladder 4 deployed ground and aerial ladders to rescue victims on the second, third, and fourth floors. Engine 9 raised a 40’ ground ladder in a valiant effort to reach an occupant with fatal injuries. Engine 8 advanced a hose line to the third floor to fight the fire and search for more residents. Engine 1, 5, and 7, and Ladder 1 assisted with rescues and fire suppression. The roof of the building collapsed and with rapidly deteriorating interior conditions, crews were forced to evacuate the building. While the building sustained catastrophic damage, firefighters were able to contain the blaze and save nearby homes and businesses. Five injured occupants were transported to the hospital and, tragically, two lost their lives.

New Bedford Fire Department

District Chief Steven Beaulieu, District Chief Gary Raposa, Lieutenant Jason Beaulieu, Lieutenant Kevin Farnworth, Lieutenant Daniel Jackson, Firefighter Jason Barker, Firefighter Nicholas Corvi, Firefighter Jesse Andrade, Firefighter Bryce Fortes, Firefighter Kenneth Letourneau, Firefighter Mark Pacheco, Firefighter Derek Santos

When New Bedford firefighters arrived at the Roosevelt Apartments shortly before midnight on July 18, 2022, they saw a working fire on the fourth floor and immediately called for a second alarm response. It was apparent that many occupants would need to be rescued from the building. For the next several hours, crews conducted a simultaneous rescue and fire suppression operation. They raised a ground ladder to a third-floor window, which Firefighter Jesse Andrade went up twice, helping a woman and young child evacuate through a window. Lt. Jason Beaulieu and Firefighter Mark Pacheco rescued a resident over the fire escape from the apartment adjacent to the main fire. Lt. Kevin Farnworth and Firefighter Nicholas Corvi helped evacuate residents to the lobby after they conducted searches of the fourth and fifth floors. Lt. Daniel Jackson and Firefighters Bryce Fortes and Derek Santos rescued two tenants through smoke-filled hallways. Under the decisive direction of District Fire Chiefs Steven Beaulieu and Gary Raposa, these firefighters saved five people and several pets from a blaze that could otherwise have turned tragic.

New Bedford Fire Department

District Chief Scott Gomes, Captain Kenneth A. Silva Jr, Temp Lieutenant Marco Delima, Temp Lieutenant Brandon Medeiros, Lieutenant Louis Miranda, Lieutenant Steven Torres, Firefighter Moises Rodriguez

On the morning of October 3, 2022, residents trapped inside a burning apartment building on Tremont Street in New Bedford called 9-1-1 to report the fire. District Chief Scott Gomes was first onscene and was able to rescue a man from the rear stairwell on his own. Ladder 1 and Ladder 3 companies used an aerial ladder to rescue a man from a small section of roof outside a third-floor window. Lt. Steven Torres rescued an elderly woman in a wheelchair, using his protective gear as a shield to protect her as he carried her down the rear stairs. The heat conditions were so extreme in that stairway that his gear and self-contained breathing apparatus were either charred, melted, or sustained severe thermal damage. The woman sustained first- and second-degree burns and spent over a month on a ventilator prior – but recovered from her injuries.

Stoneham Fire Department

Firefighter Andrew Chabak, Firefighter Mike Paone, Firefighter Nick Rolli

On the morning of February 23, 2023, the Stoneham fire and police departments reported to multiple reports of a house fire and gunshots. Police arrived first and went to the back of the house where a person was attempting to shoot open the door to rescue a disabled man trapped inside as the fire raged on in the single-family ranch-style home.

Stoneham and Wakefield crews went to work to attack the fire, while Firefighters Andrew Chabak, Mike Paone, and Nick Rolli looked for an entrance. Using a ground ladder, they were able to enter a bedroom window that led them straight into a zero-visibility environment. Due in part to excessive clutter, they did not locate him initially but soon found him on the bed, breathing but unconscious. The room was directly above the seat of the fire, with high heat, heavy smoke, and toxic gases. Firefighters Paone and Rolli lifted the man up and carried him to the window, where Firefighter Chabak straddled the window and lifted him out. Wakefield firefighters put him on a stretcher and carried him to the waiting ambulance for transport to Mass General Hospital. These firefighters then worked to bring a second hose line into the first floor to help ventilate the structure.

Sunderland Fire Department

Lieutenant Matthew Morin

Lt. Matthew Morin is the fire prevention and education officer for the town of Sunderland and a rising star in fire and life safety education. He brings fire safety messaging to kids and seniors in all the traditional ways, but he’s also committed himself to helping his fellow first responders build stronger connections with all our communities.

Lt. Morin helped develop a first responder training program that sets professional standards for respectfully and professionally interacting with members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Since starting the program, he’s presented the training to more than 2,000 firefighters, EMT’s, paramedics, and police officers across the United States. Earlier this year, at the Department of Fire Services’ Fire & Life Safety Education Conference, he not only led a workshop on this topic but also gave one of the general session presentations to about 200 attendees – and was a runner-up for Educator of the Year.

Lt. Morin’s work helps fire service professionals understand foundational history, terminology, and strategies to carry out our professional duties while respecting the various identities people carry through their lives.