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Jason James Menard

Lieutenant

Lieutenant Menard and the members of his ladder company were dispatched along with other firefighters to the report of a fire in a multi-story residence with people trapped and the report of a missing child on the third floor.  The first engine arriving on the scene found heavy fire on the second floor.

Lieutenant Menard and another firefighter were trapped on the third floor of the building by fire progression.  A Mayday was called and the on-scene Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) was deployed.  Lieutenant Menard ordered his firefighter out the window, but he was unable to follow for some reason.  Once the fire was knocked down, Lieutenant Menard was located and removed from the building.  He was transported to the hospital but did not survive.  His death was caused by burns and internal trauma.

The fire building was a balloon frame structure with wooden rear porches.  High winds were a factor in this incident.

photo of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial
Jason James Menard was honored on the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland and was included in the USFA’s annual report Firefighter Fatalities in the United States.

Department information

Worcester Fire Department
141 Grove ST
Worcester, Massachusetts 01605

Chief: Michael J. Lavoie

Age: 39
Rank: Lieutenant
Classification: Career
Incident date: November 13, 2019 01:30
Date of death: November 13, 2019
Cause of fatal injury: Caught or Trapped
Nature of fatal injury: Burns
Activity type: Search and Rescue
Emergency duty: Yes
Duty type: On-Scene Fire
Fixed property use: Residential

Last updated: April 07, 2022