Award for crew that found 2 Carey girls: Team risked lives trying to save blast victims

By Norman Miller / News Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 17, 2003

BOSTON -- Ashland firefighter Michael Brogan said he was proud he and his fellow members of the District 14 Technical Rescue team received a group award at yesterday's Firefighter of the Year ceremony.

But, he said, every member of the team would give the award back if July 24, 2002, never happened.

That night, the team responded to a Hopkinton home that had exploded. They rescued several residents, but Violet Carey, 5, and her sister Iris, 4, died when the blast leveled the three-story building. Rescue workers pulled the girls' parents, Tara and Heath Carey, from the rubble. Ten people in the building survived.

"It's a positive thing to be recognized, but it's still a tragedy," said Brogan, one of more than 20 members of the team made up of firefighters from Ashland, Hopkinton, Milford and Southborough.

"I think any one of us would rather have been able to stay home that night," he said.

The group was among a gathering of more than 50 firefighters from around the state honored with Firefighter of the Year Awards. In addition, Natick Fire Lt. Michael Aries, an EMT, received a Fire Marshal's Award.

Hundreds of people attended the event, including Gov. Mitt Romney and Lt. Gov. Kerry Healy, at Faneuil Hall.

"It used to be our heroes were found in comic books," said Romney. "We expected them to leap buildings in single bounds. Today, our heroes are dressed in blue, firefighters, police officers.

"They don't leap buildings in single bounds. They use ladders, axes, trying to find a way to get to someone. In this country, we respect life, and those who would risk all to protect life."

Several speakers praised the work firefighters do, and also honored Lancaster Firefighter Martin McNamara who died earlier this month fighting a fire.

"Once again we have sadness in our hearts for a fallen firefighter," said state Fire Marshal Stephen Coan. "Marty McNamara was doing a job he loved when he dragged a fire line into the basement of that Lancaster apartment. As fire marshal, I can see how important it is to honor these true heroes."

Robert Haas, undersecretary of public safety, said the rescue team was being honored because of the work they did the night of the deadly Hopkinton blast. They risked their lives trying to rescue the two young girls, he said.

"Upon responding, the Technical Rescue Team found a pile of debris and an active natural gas leak, yet entered the extremely dangerous site to search for the girls," said Haas. "The building was extremely unstable, but these skilled men persisted until they located both victims."

Milford Firefighter and EMT Scott Marshall said, "It's an honor when you're here with your brothers and sisters."

"It feels good to be here with the brotherhood," Southborough Firefighter Jim Peltier said.

Natick's Aries was given the Fire Marshal's Award because of his years of work to bring early intervention to victims of sudden cardiac arrest, Coan said.

In 1998, Aries was appointed chairman of the Public Information, Education, Resource Committee for the state's Emergency Medical Advisory Board.

In that role, he developed a program called "Heart Safe Community." The program encourages CPR classes, early access to emergency care and early defibrillation through traditional first responders.

There are 55 Heart Safe Communities in the state, and the Cape and Islands have been declared, "Heart Safe Cape Cod," Coan said. He said Logan Airport will become "Heart Safe Massport," as they install several public defibrillators.

"The communities that follow his lead will certainly save lives," Coan said.

(Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or at nmiller@cnc.com)