As the five men stood at the front of Macedonia Baptist Church, someone called out “speech.”
They looked at each other. Ansonia Police Officer Philip Landona, Jr. raised his eyebrows. No one stepped up to the microphone.
Their actions of Oct. 2 spoke louder than any thank you speech.
That’s when Landona, Officer Edward Magera, Officer Bernard Okesenberg, firefighter Judd Blaze and city resident Christopher Esteves charged into an inferno on Fifth Street in an attempt to save two elderly residents trapped inside.
They were honored Wednesday with the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Brotherhood Committee’s “Everyday Hero Award.”
Rufus “Fred” McMichael, 84, a World War II veteran and a longtime Ansonia resident, did not make it out of the fire, the cause of which is still being investigated.
McMichael’s 81-year-old wife, Laura, was saved by the men. She had previous medical conditions and passed away Nov. 30.
The men’s actions define the term everyday hero, said Surether Belton, a member of the committee.
“They look for the best and they give the best they have,” Belton said. They prove “one person can make a difference.”
State Rep. Linda Gentile remarked the group was “ordinary people with an extraordinary capacity for selflessness.”
“You’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty and we recognize that,” Mayor James Della Volpe said.
Police Chief Kevin Hale said Magera burned his hand in the fire. Hale saw him in the hospital later.
“He wanted to go back to work. I had to order him to stay away. That’s what they’re like. I couldn’t be more proud.”
The group was also honored with proclamations from Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz and state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, which were read by James Cohen, a founding member of the award committee.
The McMichaels were fondly remembered by Ralphine Siggars Ford, chairperson of the award committee.
“Mr. McMichael was very supportive getting minorities involved in city government during the 70s right up to the 90s,” she said. “You don’t realize how important a person is until he leaves you. He and his wife will truly be missed.”
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Brotherhood Award Committee has given out more than 40 awards since 1986, when its first award went to Lowell Weicker.
Wednesday’s awards ceremony, hosted by Pastor David E. Penn, Sr., was the first of four events for 2009 – 2010 marking the committee’s 25th anniversary.
Ansonia resident Jennifer Barnum was also honored for her role in saving Mrs. McMichael. However, she was not at Wednesday’s award ceremony.
