Beacon Hose to recognize residents

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Firefighters Michael Rupis, left, and Jonathan Fitzpatrick fight a blaze at 144 Blackberry Hill Road in Beacon Falls Sept. 8.  -CONTRIBUTED
Firefighters Michael Rupis, left, and Jonathan Fitzpatrick fight a blaze at 144 Blackberry Hill Road in Beacon Falls Sept. 8. -CONTRIBUTED

BEACON FALLS — Beacon Hose Company No. 1 and First Selectman Gerard Smith will honor two town residents Monday night for their actions during separate fires in September.  

On Sept. 8 a fire destroyed the home at 144 Blackberry Hill Road. Ken Battis was driving by when he noticed the fire and stopped. He was on the scene when firefighters arrived, fire officials said. Battis alerted firefighter Jeremy Rodorigo that he heard cries of help coming from the back of the house. He led Rodorigo to the source of the cries, where the homeowner was found lying in tall grass just outside the burning home. Firefighters then pulled the man, who suffered second-degree burns from the heat radiating off the fire, to safety.

“If Ken Battis hadn’t yelled to me and told me where the man was, he could have died before we got back there. We could not see him from the front yard and I never heard him scream,” Rodorigo said in a statement.

Two days after the fire on Blackberry Hill Road, a late night fire struck at the two-family home at 95 and 97 South Main St.

Rodorigo, who is also the spokesman for Beacon Hose, said Timothy Quinn was home in his apartment when he was startled by banging at his door. His neighbor came over to ask him to call 911 because his apartment was on fire. 

According to Rodorigo, Quinn called 911 and then went next door to help. When he went into the apartment he found a bedroom consumed in flames and a disabled woman still inside the smoke filled home.

Quinn carried the woman out of the house and brought her to safety, Rodorigo said. He then went back into the apartment to see if he could help put the fire out. The woman was treated on the scene by EMS and taken to the hospital where she was admitted for several days, he said. 

“Tim’s selfless act probably saved this lady’s life,” Rodorigo said. “The smoke and heat from that fire were intense. He put himself directly in harms way to help his neighbor.”

Battis and Quinn will be honored and presented with awards Monday night at 7:15 p.m. at the firehouse, 35 North Main St.