CHICOPEE – Several members of the Chicopee Fire Department were awarded the prestigious Governor’s Citation for Meritorious Conduct during the 31st annual Firefighter of the Year Awards.

Chicopee Fire Department Deputy Chief Wayne Lemay, Capt. Peter Jerusik, Lt. Nicholas Lacasse, Lt. Daniel Sousa, Firefighter Jon Fisher, Firefighter Donald Grey, Firefighter Steven Laurin, Firefighter Zachary Pirog and Firefighter Stephan Willett were all honored with this award for their actions in 2019.

On Dec. 28, 2019 the Chicopee Fire Department assisted with a search for two missing children. According to a press release, “The frantic parents provided firefighters with a social media video the children had posted just before they went missing, showing that they were on the ice above the Chicopee River.” Jerusik was able to use landmarks in the video to locate where it was taken and identify a coinciding break in the ice shelf.

Willet and Pirog searched the shoreline, Sousa and Laurin were in rescue suits and Lacasse, Grey and Fisher were launching a rescue boat to find the children. The conditions of the ice were dangerous, but the firefighters persevered.

As stated in the press release, “Lt. Sousa entered the 10-foot deep water, battling the current and avoiding entanglement in numerous tree limbs. He was able to locate the first victim quickly and transferred the child to the crew on the rescue boat. The boat crew began CPR while speeding back to an awaiting ambulance at the boat ramp. Due to river conditions, Lacasse had to exit the boat and enter the freezing water on several occasions to push it through sand bars to return to the boat ramp.”

Unfortunately, the first victim passed away at the hospital the following day. The search for the second missing child continued on, and the second child was sadly recovered from beneath the ice several days later.

Members of the department were honored with this award for their “bravery and extraordinary sustained effort in the face of such dangerous and challenging conditions.” 

Jerusik spoke on what it felt like to win this award and why it was such an honor for the department.

“We were very honored to receive the award because there’s a lot of worthy candidates for that award throughout the commonwealth and for us to be chosen out of all those candidates was very honoring for us. And it’s a little bittersweet because, ultimately, we wish there was a better outcome from the incident we received the award for, but it was an honor,” he said.

According to Jerusik, winning an award like this helps emphasize and honor the important work firefighters do every day.

“It’s fulfilling since we’ve trained to try to be able to respond to that type of emergency incident and I believe we performed as well as we possibly could on that day. I think us receiving that award is fulfilling in a way so we know that all the hard work and training and effort we put forth that day is being recognized,” he said.

He also said that winning this award helps citizens of the commonwealth understand the dangerous work that firefighters do every day.

“I believe it’s also important for people of the commonwealth to realize some of the actions that are happening every day out there being performed by firefighters to do their best to keep our citizens safe,” he said.

During the ceremony, Gov.Charlie Baker spoke on the efforts of firefighters in Massachusetts during the past year.

“I want to thank you once again for your bravery, for your work, your collaboration and especially for your spirit during this hard year,” he said.

The awards, which usually take place in person at Mechanic’s Hall in Worcester, were hosted virtually this year due to COVID-19.

“This virtual ceremony does not take away the valor, the honor and the incredible service,” said Baker.

Those interested in viewing the awards are encouraged to visit the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MassDFS .