Danbury Firefighters Honored For Dramatic Rescue After Serious Crash Last Year

DANBURY, CT — The Danbury Fire Department was honored Feb. 25 by the Bullard Co. for its response to a serious motor vehicle crash last November that led to the rescue of an injured driver in freezing conditions.

The award recognized firefighters’ actions during a Nov. 30, 2025, crash that prompted a multi-agency response from fire, police, and EMS crews at 4:55 a.m., according to the DFD.

Fire officials said Responders arrived to find a severely damaged car that had struck a tree at high speed.

No occupants were inside the vehicle. Given the extent of the damage, fire and police personnel believed anyone involved was likely injured, the DFD said.

A check with the local hospital confirmed no crash victims had arrived.

With temperatures at 33 degrees Fahrenheit, darkness before 5 a.m., and a missing occupant presumed injured, crews determined that an immediate search of the surrounding area was critical, according to the DFD.

The crash occurred on a sweeping hillside near the airport approach zone, in a large, undeveloped area next to a highway.

Police searched nearby streets while firefighters organized a line search across the terrain.

Capt. Bart McCleary of Engine 26, a 38-year department veteran, was among those searching.

About 700 feet downhill from the crash site, McCleary detected a heat source using a Bullard DXT Thermal Imaging Camera.

The device registered a temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit against the 33-degree background, according to the DFD.

Believing the reading indicated a person, McCleary, Lt. Gabe Rivera, Lt. Nick Cabral, and their crews moved toward the heat source and located an injured, hypothermic victim in the brush, wrote the DFD.

Firefighters packaged the victim and transported the individual to a trauma center. The victim was expected to make a full recovery.

DFD Deputy Chief Bernie Meehan, the incident commander, said that without the thermal imaging camera, the outcome could have been different.

He said that had the victim not been located quickly with the Bullard Thermal Imaging Camera, the victim “would not have likely not survived the event.”

Brad Harvey, global product manager for Bullard, traveled from Kentucky to present firefighters with the award and memorabilia.

DFD Fire Chief Richard Thode, Assistant Chief William Lounsbury, Danbury Chief of Staff Taylor O’Brien, and Communications Advisor Jason Nova attended the ceremony.