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Concord honors firefighters, volunteers and dispatchers for rescues and service
Summary
At the Concord Fire Department awards ceremony the city recognized multiple rescues, helping‑hands by bystanders, dispatch excellence, promotions and a Firefighter of the Year award; several incidents cited involved extrications, life‑saving airway interventions, and coordinated multi‑unit responses.
The Concord Fire Department celebrated more than a dozen awards at its annual ceremony, honoring firefighters, dispatchers, volunteers and community members for life‑saving actions, long service and promotions.
The event recognized a series of high‑profile responses: a June 10, 2025 crash on Langley Parkway that required a complex extrication and a trauma alert that ultimately resulted in the patient’s transfer to Boston Children's Hospital and a full recovery; a Nov. 19, 2025 choking response at an Applebee’s where firefighter‑paramedic Joe Curtain removed a complete airway obstruction with forceps and the patient recovered without neurological deficits; and a Dec. 1, 2025 residential fire at 14 Gauge Street where coordinated search and rescue operations led to the removal and stabilization of an occupant and earned rescue‑medal recognition for Captain Christopher Dolof and firefighter‑paramedic Justin Caner.
Presenter citations also honored bystanders whose immediate actions helped save lives: Melissa Klensby and Joshua Fishburn were cited for administering CPR in a December 2025 medical emergency, and Rachel Barton received a Helping Hands award for dislodging an airway obstruction at her workplace in August 2025. The ceremony recognized lead fire alarm operators and dispatchers (Scott Bourke, Matthew Nelson, Paul St. Germaine, Ellen Alexander and others) for proactive incident expansion and citywide coordination during electrical‑odor and confirmed structure‑fire incidents, underscoring the critical role of dispatch in preempting larger emergencies.
Promotions and service milestones were presented onstage, including Deputy Chief Michael Costello, Battalion Chief Christopher Johnson, Lieutenant Samuel Cahan, Fire Alarm Operator Paul Steel and Assistant Fire Marshal Timothy Wilson, with family members invited to pin badges. Firefighter Alexander Matson was named Firefighter of the Year for career‑long technical‑rescue expertise and mentorship.
The ceremony framed these recognitions as both gratitude for individual heroics and evidence of the department’s broader readiness, while the chief’s earlier remarks highlighted continuing resource and staffing needs.
