Newton Celebrates Important Group For Their Emergency Response Work

NEWTON, MA — The Massachusetts State 911 Department, Mayor Marc Laredo and Police Chief Timothy Cohoon recently recognized the city’s emergency dispatch team for its work on the day of the Boston Marathon, including its response to a fire that displaced one of its own dispatchers.

The recognition ceremony highlighted the actions of dispatchers on Monday, April 20, a day Dispatch Supervisor Margie Ciccone described as both emotionally difficult and operationally demanding.

“At 9:18 a.m., with roads already closed, a call came in reporting smoke on the third floor at an address on River Street,” Ciccone said in remarks during the ceremony.

Dispatchers quickly coordinated a large emergency response that included fire engines, ladders, rescue crews, police units, a medic truck and a police drone team. The address belonged to one of the department’s dispatchers, who was working at the time and was immediately sent home after learning about the fire.

According to Ciccone, everyone inside the home evacuated safely, including the dispatcher’s fiancée and their pets. Another dispatcher came in to help staff the communications center after hearing the call.

The fire later escalated to a second alarm while Marathon Monday road closures complicated response efforts and mutual aid coordination. Ciccone said the dispatcher ultimately lost everything in the fire.

“Without hesitation, the dispatch team came together,” Ciccone said, adding that coworkers collected money and helped provide clothing and immediate support for the dispatcher and his fiancée. “I could not be prouder of the people I work with every day.”

Officials said the River Street fire was just one of many incidents handled by dispatchers throughout the day. The ceremony recognized the team’s professionalism, resiliency and ability to support first responders and residents during emergencies.

City officials also emphasized the role dispatchers play behind the scenes, serving as a critical link between the public and police, firefighters, and medics responding in the field.

“This recognition is not about one individual, but the entire team,” the department said in a statement. “They are more than colleagues, they are a family.”

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