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Lowell Fire Department
Lowell Firefighter of the Year 1999
Our Heroes 1999
At the Annual Firefighters Ball held at Mt. Pleasant Country Club on November 6th, 1999. Local #853 presented its Awards for Heroism. Firefighter Rene Demers of Engine 4 and Lieut. Mike Donnelly of Engine 1 were chosen Firefighters of the Year 1999. A brief description of the scenario that led to this award follows.
On March 27th, 1999 at 01:05 hrs. Fire Alarm received Box #283 for The Wentworth Elderly Housing Building at One Shattuck Street. Upon arrival Firefighters Lt. Donnelly and Rene Demers rushed into the burning building and forged their way to the fourth floor and found 76-year-old Victor Sherburne unconscious in the apartment where the fire started and carried him to safety. Lt. Donnelly's father Captain Frank Donnelly was the recipient of the departments Firefighter of the Year Award in 1977.
Firefighters Richard Burgess, Phil Gauvreau and Lt. Charles Savard were given the Award of Valor for risking their lives last Christmas Eve during a shooting on Branch Street. They dragged the victim to safety and started CPR while the gunman was still on the loose. Firefighters Henry Lozado and Anthony Stairs of Engine 7 won the Award of Merit for saving the life of a 58-year-old man on Sept. 11, 1999.
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