I serviced the generator at this fire station this morning. I drove by on 290 while this was taking place in 1999 with my father. It was a heavy moment when I finished up work and went over to the memorial for a moment
These 6 men sacrificed their lives because they felt it was their duty to make sure no innocent civilians were inside the building...that is true courage...RIP WFD 6
Udizzy Will Never forget, The WFD has changed my life. The Men and women in this video mean so much to Me. I want to thank everyone involved in the making of this awesome show of support for our great city and The Wonderful Fire service we have looking over us every day, Proud to be from Worcester Ma. The Dizz.
I'm from a couple towns south of Worcester, so like 10minutes away off 290/146. My mom worked in Worcester, went to assumption, passed that building so many times with her a week.
Im taking my CPAT and written soon I could not be more happy and my family and fiancée has never been so proud of me... truly this was my calling as I’ve saved my brothers and cousins life once in our youth and protected my friends against bullies growing up... my last name is Pyro as well. God bless America 🇺🇸 God I love this country our military our medical/EMS FD and PD departments! 👨🚒 i will be the best fireman i can be for my future family team 💪🏼
I know it's 2 months later but I hoped you passes whatever you had to pass and I wish you a lot of luck. I have so much respect for fire fighters cause while everyone is running out you guys head in. Again good luck and hope you have a long safe career.
Cried all the way through this. God bless those who were lost, the families, and those brave souls who follow in their footsteps. Down tools, and rest easy together.
Before i started flying F-16s i was a volunteer firefighter. I know its not the same as being a full time firefighter but i did get to experience alot of the same things such as going in burning buildings, using the jaws to cut people out of cars, and so forth. Firefighters will always have my utmost respect. every time i strapped into my jet in Afganistan and Iraq i always carried a small picture of the Twin Towers with the number 343 on the back of it along with the number of civilians in my flight suit and i still have that picture till this day. It takes a special person to run inside of a burning building while everyone else is running out.
I know we all who live & work here in Worc ma. I was in oxford working a medic shift. The Sunday after I worked my Worc Ems job ! Not 1 of us who worked in this city for weeks after will ever forget ! I certainly will always make sure I live my life to my best ! God bless ‘ I went to MFA late in my career , the others in my class except my Ems partner were the only ones who knew them or the true feeling. It was a tough last MFA day hearing the mayday , the years later show us we can be stronger & better ‘ let us just remember some of this follows us & we will push forward 🇺🇸.
Jerry Lucy. One of the nicest guys I ever met. I worked for Pepsi Cola, he worked for Coca Cola our routes overlapped in the Holden/ West Boylston area. I'd see him a few times a week either stocking Markets, at a Honey Farms or just driving by and waving. I knew Jerry as a Coca-Cola guy for about 2 years, then some new guy had that Coca-Cola route and that was that. We also delivered once in a while to the Grove St. fire station (20-30 cases for their machine). One day we jump back in the truck after delivering to Grove St. and who jumps up on the step up to the cab to say hello ... Jerry (complete with a Fireman's mustache, lol.) He was a new recruit and was training there. That's the last time I saw him. I still remember things he talked about when we'd be stocking shelves at an IGA or an Iandoli's (Shaws). His lady was a hairdresser, she worked at Mr. C's in Webster Square and he loved her dearly... and a few other things, but those are for me.
18 yrs volunteer Fire/9yrs EMT/around 10 as a water rescue tech always training to be better. To this day all i can say is I do it to help others make a diffrence. My tatto says it all so others may live
May God bless and keep our hero's safe. these men were a representation of all the Firefighters and reuse workers across our country and indeed, the world. Each death provides a learning tool to be used to save thousands of other firefighters To these men and women, I love you all. And let us try to remember this love they give us, by giving them a comfortable living. They have enough to worry about on their job. They should not need to worry about paying bills.
2:22, I have been a firefighter for 15 years and have done fire inspection for 7. That building is sprinklered and if you have buildings change occupancy or illegally subdivide because of lack of inspections or code enforcement then I dunno. Don’t want to ever see a brother lose their life but If the loss was preventable before the fire started.
I wonder if that photo is actually from Worcester Cold Storage, or if it is just a representative building. I have been looking for interior photos from before the fire and have only found one. I haven’t seen this one except for here.
The fire was the top news story for days afterward in Springfield, MA. I used to drive by the building on I-290 on the way to shop at Spag's in Shrewsbury often. That white hot 3000+ degreee fire is not uncommon in a heavily insulated structure. Water from firefighters hoses evaporates before it can douse the flames.
I was almost 6 living in Worcester when this happened. I remember waking up and seeing smoke billowing outside when I looked out the window. My mom volunteered and made ham and cheese sandwiches for the firefighters. I believe there was a memorial/parade after with bagpipes?
Tommy Spencer is my cousin. My mom and I were watching the fire. It was horrible. We didn't even know he was in there till the next day. RIP Worcester 6
We can't have first responders lives in jeopardy by having our own govs cutting the budgets of FIRST RESPONDERS in any city because they are cutting our lives too we need to stand up against this more than just saying it we need to protest and do it
That was the first evac tones I ever heard, and to this day every time I hear them now I can’t control the tears running down my cheeks. I will never forget that night, hearing the frantic voices. God Bless all firefighters for what they give every time they get a call. They can’t pay them enough for the unconditional sacrifices.
The 7th hero is the Chief who ordered everyone out of the building. Others would have perished. He made a very difficult decision, but the right decision.
Horrible decision to have to make, but undoubtably the right one. Thank you to that Chief who did everything he could and then made sure the rest of his men got home safe to their families.
Chief McNamee made a choice that had to be one of the gutziest calls anyone could ever make. I was a Captain in a fire department in a neighboring state when this tragedy happened and from the day that I found out what he had to do, all I could think of is the agony that he had to be going through in the minute that he took to mae that call! I kept that thought in my head every day, for the almost 20 years I worked after this fire. as a Captain and as a Battalion Chief, that someday, that could be me having to do that. It helped me to be a better fire officer and to learn my craft, every day, so that if that day ever came, I'd have the knowledge and courage to make that call. God Bless you Chief McNamee, for your courage
sorry to be so off topic but does anybody know a way to get back into an Instagram account..? I was dumb lost the account password. I would appreciate any tips you can offer me
@Maximilian Garrett thanks for your reply. I found the site thru google and im waiting for the hacking stuff atm. Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.
I truly believe Firefighters really are the bravest among us. No power trips, no arrogance, just bravery and self sacrifice. Thank you to all our beloved Firefighters!
Very well said my grandfather died in a fire and now my dad is a full time firefighter and I am a cadet I have almost become a firefighter to honor his legacy I have gone farther than I ever thought I would
Tears rolling down my face while watching this video. I remember being 6 years old and my dad taking me to the impromptu memorial that had sprung up on the location so we could pay our respects and lay down some flowers. I'd never seen him cry before but that day we both did. God bless those men and all the firefighters and their families. They are the best and the bravest.
I did not find the fire service appealing to me until 2010 when I got out of the military...but the brother hood and everything about it is what attracted me to it...I was able to make it to LT. Jason Menard wake service and that is something I will never forget for the rest of my life...I am now a career firefighter and wouldn't trade it for anything else..RIP my brothers
I'm just getting into fire service but this was one of the first slides TVFD CT showed us in training, thank you for your service and we got you 6 from here hope to be as great as you
What an awful feeling to be trapped in a burning building and knowing you are going to die. I believe that fire fighters, both volunteer and paid are not paid and respected enough. People will complain about their taxes having to support them but want them there wen needed.
I still remember watching this on the news. I was so upset. I now have family that is in firefighting and this tragedy and the 6 firefighters will always be remembered.
I lived in Worcester when this happened and I remember it well. We lost 6 of our finest that day. As a volunteer member of my local fire department today, I have a much greater appreciation for the sacrifice of these 6 brave men. RIP brothers and God speed. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13
My maternal grandfather was a mechanic for Worcester Fire on Grove Street for many years, and my cousin was a firefighter for Auburn and he was on scene on the I290 overpass. My grandfather can no longer watch 'Backdraft' or 'Ladder 49'. My dad knew Joe McGuirk and my grandfather retired after 12/3/99. I attended the precession and I cried along with my dad and grandfather because they knew these men and were heartbroken by this tragedy. NEVER FORGET 12/3/99 WORCESTER 6
It's truly sad that these men lost their lives, but the simple fact here is that the Officer didn't control the men and the situation was so badly handled that these men lost their lives needlessly. Panic reigned and all was lost. Right from the get-go, things were done wrong, some guys didn't have SCBA in a sealed, non-vented building, no search ropes, inadequate lighting etc There should have been a call for extra manpower and search ropes and lighting and a slow, methodical search should have been made . The only life hazard in this building was the firefighters, the squatters knew this building layout and were long gone when the company arrived Learn from this....where was the size-up and and cautious approach to a known hazardous building ? This wasn't heroic, it was tragic. May they Rest in Peace
I believe that we should give firefighters, policemen and rescuers all the most modern and best that humanity has. This does not mean that we must give whatever they want, it means that we must give everything we can give, lives depend on it.
Living just outside of Worcester, for weeks and months afterwards people would see my last name and offer me condolences. I didn't have the heart to tell them that I wasn't actually related (although my last name does come from the same family, but no blood relation)
50 years in the fire service this is one of the saddest days of my life. Walking in the procession with 35,000 brothers is life changing. Along with the Charleston 9, we must work To learn the lessons, never forget 😢😢
I remember passing that building on our way to the Worcester Centrum. Shortly after the fire my friends and I went to the Centrum to see WWF. There were firefighters outside the building with fire boots collecting donations. I gave them what I could.
Now that's dedication to a job. You got out and buy what they need for the job with their own money. I think whatever fire fighters need for the job all the equipment should be paid for by the city. There shouldn't be any cuts made to any fire departments because they are so important. It's sad when the lay firemen off and make cuts to the Department. May the 6 brave firemen who passed away on that awful day R.I.P. .
Too bad this didn't focus on the irresponsible firefighting tactics that got all of Worchester's firefighters killed. Memorials don't save lives. Search and Rescue without first eliminating all Visible Threats through "Horizontal" Ventilation and suppression of the fire, is fool hardy at best. The odds of people being inside that structure were remote so firefighter life safety should have been job one and should Always be Job One. An injured or dead firefighter is no good to anyone. Everything stops when there is a Mayday call. Victims, are on their own at that point. If you can't easily and quickly Get Out, then you shouldn't be Going In! You don't venture beyond your suppression and ventilation. The Worchester Fire Department has needed new leadership for years but everyone including the chief, would rather focus on great funerals than evaluating tactics.
Firefighter that died in the fire thought people were inside what your doing is Monday morning corterbacking and also this video is to honor the 6 brave firefighter that died. it wasn’t the chief or the fire department falt the building was illegally built with alterations with it being cut up god blessed these 6 firefighters who were doing their job
Just saw this video now and thought why would firemen risk going into a building when they could have done a massive aerial dump of water overhead to extinguish the fire. Makes no since and these guys got killed over a dumb building.
@@retrosonghits Water has to be surgically applied directly onto the burning material. Most times that can be done through windows and doors. The smoke has to be vented out of the structure to make conditions inside more survivable. That can be done through the windows and doors. If you have to go inside, you do it After you have extinguished all Visible Burning Material and vented the windows from the outside. You do NOT go inside unless you have one foot ready to step out of a window or door. You do NOT put 6 firefighters at risk to MAYBE save people who MIGHT be inside a Death Trap. The Officers and especially the CHIEF is personally responsible for the deaths of these and all of Worcester's Line Of Duty Firefighter Deaths.
@@garystadler5583 I'm not Monday Morning Quarterbacking, I'm THINKING instead of REACTING like people, like you. If you want to honor dead firefighters, find out what happen and make sure it never happens again. Leaving condolences and prayers isn't for the dead firefighters, it is to make YOU feel better about yourselves! It most certainly was the FAULT of the Officers and especially the CHIEF, who used their deaths to make himself look all emotional and caring in front of the media to deflect YOUR attention away from his culpability. When you send firefighters into a burning building for any reason, you had better have a foolproof way to get them out alive and well. In all the Worcester firefighter deaths, the CHIEF didn't do that. Not even close! No plan in place whatsoever. Just blindly rush in with no plan at all and a heroic attitude. Firefighting is a JOB, not an adventure!
