HANOVER, MASS. (WHDH) - A Hanover fire captain received special recognition for his work on the frontlines during the coronavirus pandemic.
Capt. Fred Freeman received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award alongside six others for their courage amid the pandemic.
Freeman, who is also a registered nurse, led the establishment of an innovative Mobile Integrated Health Unit that allowed the town of Hanover to deliver COVID-19 testing and other critical health services directly to residents in their homes.
He explained, “We set up a phone line, a phone bank at the beginning of the pandemic and then dispatched the paramedics out to their homes and see whatever they needed.”
The JFK Library Foundation says Freeman’s work was critical in protecting vulnerable residents.
“The program – a partnership between the Hanover Fire Department and South Shore Health System – allowed vulnerable patients to remain at home, slowing the spread of the virus and alleviating pressure on a health care system already strained by the pandemic,” the foundation wrote.
Hanover Town Manager Joseph Colangelo said that he is proud of what Freeman has been able to accomplish.
“It’s one thing to dream up and see the vision of this program, and it’s another thing to every day for over a year carry it out day after day through some of the most challenging times that we’ve ever had, and to do it with such grace and humility and poise,” he said.
Freeman added that he feels “really proud of what we did here in Hanover.”
“It wasn’t just the right thing, it was our honor and our privilege to serve them.”
Capt. Fred Freeman
Freeman found out he was being awarded from Caroline Kennedy and her son, Jack.
“I was quite surprised when they Zoomed in and notified me of the award,” he said.
Former Massachusetts governor and current Utah Sen. Mitt Romney also received a Profile in Courage Award in recognition of his decision to become the only Republican to split with his party and vote to convict former President Donald Trump during his first impeachment trial.
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