Baker Honors 11 Departments With 'Firefighter Of The Year' Awards
WORCESTER (CBS) – Fifty-three firefighters were honored Tuesday by Gov. Charlie Baker as the Commonwealth saluted its Firefighters of the Year in Worcester.
This year's honorees did everything from diving into deep water to help pull victims to safety to giving their oxygen masks to a family, trying to get them out of a burning building.
"I'm honored to be here because today we're going to have a chance to recognize the work that every single member of the fire service would have done if they had been in that situation at that point in time. These folks happened to be the ones who were there, who heard the call and answered and responded to it," Gov. Baker said.
Another positive note to Tuesday's event: There wasn't a posthumous award as no firefighters have died in the line of duty this year.
The honored firefighters came from 11 different Massachusetts fire departments to receive their awards during the 27th annual event, held at Mechanics Hall.
Retired State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan was also cited for his many years of service.
Lt. Gov. Karen Polito highlighted the work of the more than 20,000 firefighters in Massachusetts.
"Whether it's a child that has slipped through ice or person trapped in an elevator or a chemical spill that requires special gear and training and approach to make the area safe for our Commonwealth, these are people that have tremendous inner strength to handle these situations," Lt. Gov. Polito said.
For a complete list of recipients, click here.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Lana Jones reports
