A lot of FDNY members attended the memorial services for boston ff'S KENNEDY AND WALSH-- boston is not that far away somehow historically there is a link between ff's IN THE TWO CITIES

TWO BOSTON FIREFIGHTERS WHO DIED IN BACK BAY FIRE TO BE HONORED

05/16/2015

Two Boston firefighters who died in a Back Bay fire last March will be posthumously awarded medals of valor Saturday at the Boston Fire Department's annual ceremony to honor the heroism of firefighters, reports The Boston Globe.

Lieutenant Edward J. Walsh and Firefighter Michael R. Kennedy will be awarded the medals for their "heroic actions protecting the citizens of Boston, under the most extreme circumstances," the Boston Fire Department said in a statement.

The two were first responders to an apartment building fire on Beacon Street on March 26, 2014. They entered the smoke-filled building with a hose, trying to extinguish the fire at its origin. While they were inside, the buildingâ€™s conditions deteriorated quickly. The two sent a distress message by radio and continued to look for a safe exit, but due to powerful wind gusts, building hazards such as bars and windows, exits blocked by fire, and a rapidly advancing fire, Walsh and Kennedy lost their lives that day.

They are to be honored for their dedication and service at the 136th Annual Awards Ceremony at the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel Saturday. Fourteen other firefighters will also be recognized.

Among them is Firefighter Joseph L. Foley, who helped rescue two women in waters off Malibu Beach in Dorchester on a night in September. The first woman, who was about 15 yards from shore, was rescued quickly. Upon hearing the second woman's cries for help, Foley reentered the water and found her about 75 to 100 yards from the shore. Both women were taken to a local hospital. Foley is being honored for the rescue, which was performed under adverse conditions and in total darkness, the fire department said.

Another firefighter, Joel T. Cruz, is to be recognized for aiding a gunshot victim while he was off duty. Cruz was in a Chinatown restaurant when a person came in, saying heâ€™d been shot. Cruz immediately began first aid by removing his shirt and using it as a bandage. Cruz held pressure on the manâ€™s wound until EMS arrived.

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