WORCESTER, MASS. (WHDH) - Thousands attended a funeral for the heroic Worcester fire lieutenant who died in the line of duty last week.
Hundreds of firefighters and mourners from across the nation lined the street outside the Mercadante Funeral Home during Lt. Jason Menard’s wake on Sunday. Even more paid their respects during his funeral at St. John’s Church on Monday.
“Any firefighter fatality, it changes you. It changes your life, no matter who you are,” said Worcester Fire Chief Michael Lavoie at the wake. “I want to thank the men and women of the Worcester Fire Department who come to work every single day to do their jobs with heavy hearts and tremendous sadness right now.”
Menard and his team entered a burning home at 7 Stockholm St. around 1 a.m. on Wednesday in search of a reported trapped resident and baby, according to Lavoie.
The 39-year-old saved two of his fellow firefighters from the raging flames as it overtook the third floor. Menard was unable to escape.
“What he did was very heroic,” said Demetrius Countouriotis of the Austin, Texas Fire Department. “We are all hurting, even as far away as Texas.”
Menard, who had served on the Worcester Fire Department since 2010, leaves behind a wife and three children. The family had planned to leave for Disney World on Wednesday morning.
“They were so excited to go to Disney World,” said Jacob Crowe of the Ticonderoga, New York Fire Department. “Unfortunately, to have to wake up and find out that their father had passed, it’s just a sad, sad tragedy.”
The Worcester community is preparing to say a final goodbye to a fallen firefighter for the second time in the past year and the ninth time in the past 20 years.
“The community has come out in an amazing way to support our firefighter, which obviously we need at this time,” Lavoie said.
Those attending the funeral at 11 a.m. are asked to go directly to the church as a private family procession will be held before the service.
A memorial fund has been set up in Menard’s honor to help support his family.
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