Published 7 April 2021
A groundbreaking tracking and location technology will soon allow agencies to pinpoint their firefighters to within centimeters, helping to navigate them quickly and safely out of potentially disorienting emergency scenarios.
Six firefighters lost their lives responding to a fire in a century-old, abandoned warehouse in Worcester, Massachusetts, in December 1999. Worried that civilians were trapped inside, rescue teams initiated a rapid intervention; but, unfamiliar with the layout of the building, the smoke-filled warehouse became a labyrinth for those that entered. Unfortunately, the brave individuals that answered this call were unable to locate any exits before they ran out of air.
The annual Firefighter of the Year Award ceremony was held Monday, with a Medal of Honor posthumously awarded to Worcester Fire Lt. Jason Menard.
He died during a house fire Nov. 13, 2019, after helping another firefighter escape the flames, an act of uncommon bravery that merits the high honor, according to state fire officials.
The annual award ceremony, usually at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, was held virtually this year. Menard s family, Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Worcester fire and community officials were at a Worcester fire station. Today is a day to remember what a firefighter chooses to do, Polito said. Clearly a firefighter is born with.just brave.