Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
RANDY FORSTROM, left, of Beacon Ambulance, accepts an award for quick response to the February fire that killed three people in downtown Ironwood. Also shown from left are city commissioners Rick Semo and Kim Corcoran and Ironwood Public Safety Department Director Greg Klecker. Katie Nelson and Dennis Powell, both of Beacon, were singled out for awards.
IRONWOOD - Presentation of a lifesaving award to Ironwood Public Safety Department Fire Marshal Brandon Snyder concluded a Friday ceremony honoring first responders of the Feb. 21 fatal fire at 102-104 Aurora St.
Snyder was honored for personally pulling two people to safety out of second and third story windows in apartments of the burning building.
Killed in the fire were Mark Arnold Verrette, 57; Patrick James Somerville, 51, and Levi Dean Watkins, 27.
In addition to firefighters and IPSD officers, Mayor Annette Burchell and city commissioners honored businesses and organizations that assisted during the fire and after, many with fund-raising efforts for the victims and their families.
Others honored with bravery awards by IPSD Director Greg Klecker were IPSD officers John Colassaco, Adam Clemens, Mike Rimkus, Matt Sterbenz and Jamie Chiapusio, and assistant volunteer fire chief Scott Carlson.
Colassaco was injured in entering the building and nearly had the structure collapse on him when the fire was being extinguished and he was manning a hose.
City commissioner Jim Mildren, who was on the scene the morning of the fire, recalled, "I thought we might lose our downtown." He praised the rapid response and sound firefighting in saving other buildings.
Many agencies assisting in the fire were honored, including Xcel Energy, Iron County, Mich., dispatchers, Iron County, Wis., Sheriff's Department dispatchers, Iron County Mental Health, Beacon Ambulance, Contrast Coffee, Cold Iron Brewery, Red Cross, the Ironwood Chamber of Commerce, Gogebic-Ontonagon Community Action Agency and St. Vincent de Paul Society.
"Thank you all who donated money or time to aid the victims and their families," commissioner Kim Corcoran said.
Commissioner Rick Semo thanked the owners of the building, Chuck and Pat Hagstrom, for getting the site cleaned up in "record time."
Firefighters John Barbacovi and Zachary Brentar were singled out for meritorious service, as was IPSD officer Cheryl Norman. IPSD dispatcher Liz Sweeney was also honored, as were Jim Loeper and Stacy Ofstad, Gogebic and Iron emergency management directors.
IPSD officers Andrew Leiphart, volunteer fire chief Robert Tervonen and volunteer firefighter Danielle Tijan were awarded medals of distinguished service.
Around 150 people attended on a cold June 1 and many family members of honorees were present.
Burchell apologized if anyone had been left out of recognition held during Ironwood's First Friday event.
Mildren noted the Golden Dragon restaurant damaged in a fire last fall reopened earlier Friday. A grease fire there caused considerable smoke and fire damage.
