For Immediate Release: 11/26/2014 9:15 am
Worcester, MA (November 26, 2014) - The City of Worcester and the Worcester Fire Department today announced plans for a ceremony to mark the 15th anniversary of the tragic Worcester Cold Storage fire and a separate ceremony to dedicate a memorial to fallen Firefighter Jon Davies.
On December 3, 1999, a five-alarm fire at the Worcester Cold Storage & Warehouse Co. building claimed the lives of six brave firefighters who responded to the call. These six heroes - Lt. Thomas Spencer, Lt. Timothy Jackson, Firefighter Paul Brotherton, Firefighter Jeremiah Lucey, Lt. James Lyons and Firefighter Joseph McGuirk - sacrificed their lives to try and rescue two people who were believed to be trapped inside the inferno.
The site of the former Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse building is now home to the Franklin Street Fire Station. The station officially opened on November 19, 2008.
A ceremony will be held at the Franklin Street station, 266 Franklin Street, starting at 5:45 PM December 3rd, to mark the 15th anniversary of this tragic event. Mayor Joseph Petty, City Manager Edward Augustus and Fire Chief Gerard Dio will speak.
The speaking program will be followed by the announcement of a fire alarm at 6:13 PM, the time the fire was called in by an off-duty police officer. The alarm will be followed by a moment of silence, after which the names of the fallen firefighters will be called and members of their families will place roses at the Remembrance Wall. A wreath will be laid, follow by a 21-gun salute.
DAVIES MEMORIAL TO BE UNVEILED
On December 8th, the City will again gather to remember one of its fallen. A memorial will be dedicated to Firefighter Jon Davies, a 17-year veteran of the department who died on December 8, 2011 in a fire at 49 Arlington Street that also injured his partner, Firefighter Brian Carroll. Davies and Carroll re-entered a burning three-decker to search for possible occupants trapped inside when the second-floor of the building collapsed.
The ceremony will include the unveiling of a memorial to Davies, which was built in front of the Franklin Street station with $9,360 in donated funds, supplies and services from Worcester Firefighters Memorial 6K Fund, Franklin Street T-Shirt Account, WFD Credit Union, Scituate Fire Local 1464, Worcester Fire Local 1009, Ride for Heroes Fund, Sansoucy Stone and several anonymous donors. The ceremony will begin at 6:00 PM December 8th at the Franklin Street station.
