Video: MA Firefighter Receives Posthumous Medal of Honor
A Massachusetts firefighter who died saving two colleagues from trapped on the third floor of a burning building was posthumously honored with the Medal of Honor on Monday.
Worcester Fire Lt. Jason Menard was part of the response to a four-alarm blaze that broke out at a three-decker home Nov. 13, 2019, and fire officials described his actions as "uncommon bravery," which ultimately cost him his life. Menard received the Medal of Honor as part of the state's 31st annual Firefighter of the Year Awards, a ceremony that was held online because of the pandemic.
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"He was a good firefighter. He was dedicated to his profession. He looked to improve himself all the time," said Lt. Michael Papagni, who is the president of Worcester's firefighters union.
During the 2019 call, Menard had led one firefighter to the stairs while pushing another through a window. The fire eventually engulfed the top floor, and Menard perished in the flames.
Held at a Worcester fire station, the virtual ceremony was attended by Menard's family, his fellow firefighters and city leaders. Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito also were on hand.
“To his family and members of the Worcester Fire Department, all we can say is you’ve suffered a loss that no one can understand,” Gov. Charlie Baker said during the event. “Lt. Menard left behind children, a wife, and his sisters and brothers in the fire department when he gave his life to save a fellow firefighter before becoming trapped himself. To Tina and your family, we can never say thank you enough for all that you’ve sacrificed.”
Menard's death came weeks before the 20th anniversary of the city's Dec. 3, 1999, Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Fire. Six firefighters who became known as the “Worcester 6” died battling that blaze, and on Dec. 9, 2018, firefighter Christopher Roy was killed during a fire believed to be intentionally set.
July 2019, Lt. John Kennedy died several days after fighting a fire. And in 2011, Firefighter Jon D. Davies Sr. died on Dec. 8, while battling flames inside an Arlington Street three-decker.
Along with Menard's Medal of Honor (the ceremony's video tribute begins at 30:04), the state also celebrated the achievements of other firefighters around the state.
