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Groveland Fire Department
Kurt Ruchala, Interim Fire Chief
Public Safety Building
181 Main St
Groveland, MA 01834

For Immediate Release

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003

Groveland Firefighter Brian Belfiore Awarded for Saving the Life of Haverhill Man

QUINCY — Interim Fire Chief Kurt Ruchala is proud to announce that a member of the Groveland Fire Department was honored this week alongside some of the best and brightest stars in emergency medicine.

(Left-to-right: Groveland Fire Lieutenant Daniel Briscoe, Firefighter Brian Belfiore, and Interim Fire Chief Kurt Ruchala, at the Steward Health Care "EMS Stewards of the Community" awards night in Quincy on Tuesday, March 22. (Groveland Fire Department/Courtesy Photo)
(Left-to-right: Groveland Fire Lieutenant Daniel Briscoe, Firefighter Brian Belfiore, and Interim Fire Chief Kurt Ruchala, at the Steward Health Care “EMS Stewards of the Community” awards night in Quincy on Tuesday, March 22. (Groveland Fire Department/Courtesy Photo)

Firefighter Brian Belfiore was presented with the EMS Stewards of the Community Award from Steward Health Care for his quick thinking in saving the life of a man who suffered a heart attack while shoveling snow during one of last winter’s major storms.

On Jan. 4, during the “bomb cyclone” that occurred during the January 2018 North American blizzard, Firefighter Belfiore was operating a plow truck in the City of Haverhill when he heard on his fire department radio that a man had gone into cardiac arrest only a block away while shoveling snow.

Firefighter Belfiore took immediate action and arrived on scene seconds later, along with Haverhill Fire Chief William Laliberty, who is a neighbor of the victim. Together, and in low-visibility conditions the two trained emergency medical technicians performed CPR on the man until the arrival of a Trinity EMS ambulance. The victim was taken to Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, and he has since made a full recovery.

“Firefighter Belfiore’s actions in January represent the best of our profession. He relied on his training and skills when every moment counted, and he saved a life,” Chief Ruchala said.

Firefighter Belfiore is a 13-year veteran of the Groveland Fire Department. He serves as the department’s EMS Officer and is responsible not only for managing the operations of emergency medical services in Groveland but for also ensuring that other firefighters are properly-trained and that the department’s medical supply inventory is fully-stocked.

The awards were given on Tuesday, May 22 during a ceremony at The Tirrell Room in Quincy. A total of 24 professionals received awards, including Firefighter Belfiore and Chief Laliberty and two Trinity EMS paramedics who responded to the incident, recognizing each as “a leader and EMS Steward of the Community” according to the award inscription.

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Groveland Firefighter Brian Belfiore Awarded for Saving the Life of Haverhill Man

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