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Rockland Fire Department to honor kindergartner for 'heroic actions'
Updated On: Jan 30, 2015

Pictures from the Awards Ceremony have been added to the photo gallery. Click a picture below to see the rest.

 

Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston

Special thanks to the Jefferson Middle School, Rockland Public Schools, the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, State Senator John Keenan, State Representative David DeCoste, the Rockland Board of Selectmen, the Rockland 99 Restaurant, and many others 


Patriot Ledger Article:

By Mary Whitfill 
Posted Jan. 15, 2015 @ 9:36 pm
Updated Jan 15, 2015 at 9:40 PM 

 

ROCKLAND – On Jan. 5, 5-year-old Isabella “Izzy” Back noticed that a dry Christmas tree on her family’s third-floor balcony had caught fire. 

Remembering the fire safety lessons she learned in school, she ran to tell her mother.
Her immediate action allowed firefighters extinguish the blaze before the home was significantly damaged. Everyone got out safely.

“I learned fire safety at school.” Isabella said. “I got out of the house and I went across the street. I’m excited because I’m a hero.”

For Isabella’s “heroic actions in the face of fire,” the Rockland Fire Department will honor the Jefferson Elementary School kindergarten student with a Young Hero Award on Friday, Jan. 30.

“When we arrived, the fire was continuing to grow and was growing very quickly, but we were able to contain the fire to the balcony and it never got into the building,” Rockland Fire Chief Scott Duffey said. “We didn’t have any injuries, and the residents of the building weren’t displaced.”

The fire was blamed on a combination of the tree’s dry branches and strong wind. Isabella saw the tree from her bedroom.

“By the time we got outside, the entire balcony was engulfed in flames, and I really didn’t think I was going to have a home,” Isabella’s mother, Danielle Back, said. “It was amazing that they were able to contain it to the balcony.”

As they evacuated the house, Isabella told her mother that the safe thing to do was to go across the street, make sure everyone was accounted for and wait there until the fire department arrived. She had learned that from Rockland Firefighter-Paramedic Scott Margolis, who teaches fire safety in the town’s schools.

“It was a small fire at the time, and Isabella was yelling at me to call 911,” Danielle Back said. “We starting banging on our neighbors’ doors to get everybody out safely, and Isabella practiced her fire safety skills. She practiced bravery and courage, and I’m really excited for her.”

Duffey said last year was the department’s first year participating in the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services’ program called SAFE – short for Student Awareness of Fire Education.

Margolis visited the Jefferson School about five months ago and “gave a quick ‘what to do in a fire’ speech, and it really sunk in, and that’s great,” the chief said.

The award ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Jan. 30 at the Jefferson School.

Reach Mary Whitfill at mwhitfill@ledger.com.


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