150 Firefighters Honored At Mass. Firefighter of the Year Awards
WORCESTER (CBS) - This year's Massachusetts Firefighter of the Year Awards honored 150 firefighters who went above and beyond the call of duty.
Much of the focus at this year's awards was on firefighters who responded to natural disasters, including a tornado, a tropical storm, and a freak snow storm.
Fallen firefighters Kenneth Marshall, Jr., a third generation firefighter from Rehoboth, and Lt. Tim Oliveria of Salisbury, who both died in the line of duty, were among three firefighters honored posthumously.
The living recipients of the Medal of Honor were Wareham firefighters Michael Bird and David Walstrom.
They were first on the scene when a house was hit by a truck.
The driver was trapped, wires were arcing, and a gas line was sheared. But, the men managed to pull the driver out of the back window as the truck slid into the basement.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Lana Jones reports
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Firefighters from Bourne, Braintree, Brockton, Brookline, Lowell, Lynn, Middleton, Newton, Northbridge, Pittsfield, Rehoboth, Salisbury, Saugus, Somerville, Springfield, Stow, Wareham, Watertown, West Bridgewater, Williamstown, and Worcester were all honored during the ceremony.
Nine tornado response teams recieved awards: Agawam, Brimfield, Monson, Southbridge, Springfield, Sturbridge, Westfield, West Springfield and Wilbraham.
Two tornado recovery community service teams were also awarded: Norfolk and Chelmsford.