Gardner honors firefighters at 2026 Memorial Sunday; awards, life‑saving citations and scholarships presented

Gardner City held its 2026 Firefighters Memorial Sunday Ceremony on a June morning to honor retired and departed members of the Gardner Fire Department and to present service awards, life‑saving citations and scholarships.

The ceremony opened with a prayer from Father Tim Krellin, who asked the assembled community to remember the sacrifices of firefighters and first responders. The host then read the roll call of departed members and led a bell‑ringing and moment of silence.

Several career service awards were presented. Firefighter Juan Piad received a Massachusetts 10‑year career service award; Joseph Lynch received a Massachusetts 10‑year award; Matt Matz received a Massachusetts 15‑year award; and Lieutenant Mark Batz received a Massachusetts 15‑year award. Two members not in attendance, Lieutenant Ryan Meager and firefighter Dino Pudrat, were recognized with Massachusetts 25‑year career service awards.

The ceremony highlighted three rescues from earlier this year. Captain Assowski described a Feb. 12 snowmobile/ice rescue at Writes Reservoir in which crews extricated a critically injured patient from deep snow and transferred care to a LifeFlight helicopter bound for the UMass University campus; the patient was later discharged home. For that response, Lieutenant Patrick Foley, Firefighter Sean Kelly, Paramedic Mark Fatali and EMT Grace Paradise were named recipients of EMS merit awards.

Organizers also recounted a March 16 cardiac‑arrest response to 245 Suffach Lane in which 911 dispatcher Haley Ker Egan provided life‑saving telephone CPR instructions to bystanders. Police arrived and delivered an AED shock before firefighters and EMS assumed advanced care; the patient regained a pulse, was transported to the UMass University campus for cardiac catheterization and later discharged. Life‑saving awards were announced for dispatcher Haley Ker Egan; Police Officers Kevin Goen and Nathan Garciano; Lieutenant Matthew Monise; Firefighter Matias Petro Pinto; Paramedic Colleen Kille; Paramedic Matthew Sleeper; EMT Russell Kristoff; and EMT Dylan Hemingway.

A March 19 incident at Parker's Pond was also recognized after a dog named Olivia fell through the ice and a person in a canoe became stranded. Firefighter Juan Piad and Firefighter Ben Tucker made the rescues; unit citations were awarded to members of the response team, including Lieutenant Ken Chase and others.

The department recognized four interns who completed the program this year — Libby Salski, Devin Howell, Enzo Clement and Gavin Batista — and announced that Libby Salski and Devin Howell are the first recipients of the Reverend David Cody Memorial Scholarship, funded by donations from the Cody family to support studies in fire science at Mount Watusa Community College.

IAFF Local 2215 Vice President Dave Regowski reflected on the meaning of Firefighters Sunday and quoted a New York City fire lieutenant on service and legacy: “One day you’ll be old, you’ll be frail, you’ll be slow … and you’ll tell them you were a firefighter.” Mayor Mike Nicholson thanked the department and city partners, noted recent reinvestment in apparatus and invited attendees to post‑ceremony refreshments and a group photo.

The ceremony concluded with a closing prayer from Father Luke Johnson and invitations for fellowship.