Giorgio: The Worcester Cold Storage Fire 15 Years Later

Wednesday, December 03, 2014

Paul Giorgio, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER™

Paul Giorgio

It was fifteen years ago tonight that six Worcester Firefighters lost their lives in what has become one of the greatest tragedies in our city’s history-The Worcester Cold Storage Fire.

For those who don’t remember, it was on a cold December Friday night, when the former Worcester Cold Storage building on Franklin Street burst into flames. There were reports that a homeless couple was living inside, so the firefighters rushed in to save them. Two men went in and became lost in the maze of a building, then two more went in to rescue the two firefighters, they too were lost and then a final two, before the Deputy Chief on the scene bared any further rescue attempts..

It was like yesterday to me. As I drove across the city that night, you could see the flames over Route 290. Some friends and I were going out to dinner and we stopped for a few minutes to gawk. Later that night as we returned, the blaze had become an inferno. They closed down 290 and all other surrounding streets. We watched for hours as the flames licked the sky, shooting up hundreds of feet.

Saturday was a somber day in the city, as the news of the six deaths spread across our seven hills. Everyone in Worcester either knew one of them or a relative or a friend or a neighbor, such is the tight knit city we choose to call home.

Rescue turns to Recovery

As the rescue effort turned to a recovery effort, the city began to plan its memorial service. For us, it seemed like Worcester was the center of the country and for a few days it was.

A memorial Service was held at the DCU Center on December 9th, with President Clinton, Vice President Gore & Senators Kennedy & Kerry among others in attendance. Kerry had flown for over 20 hours straight from Burma to attend.

Prior to the service The President, Vice President, Senator Kennedy and Senator Kerry met privately behind the stage with the families of the dead firefighters.

An emotional Chief Budd

As a Lead Advance Person for both President Clinton and Vice President Gore, and being from Worcester, I was assigned to the Memorial Service by the White House. I have many memories of that day. One of my tasks was to make sure that Fire Chief Dennis Budd was able to greet the President prior to his speech. Chief Budd was marching with is men to the service. The march began on Grove Street, past Rural Cemetery. School was let out that day, so that the streets of Worcester were lined with thousands of children and their parents all to pay their respects.

The line of march stretched over a mile and there were approximately thirty thousand firefighters marching. Firefighters from throughout the country and the world came to Worcester that day. I was able to reach an emotional Chief Budd and bring him to the President.

The DCU Center was filled to capacity for one of the most beautiful, moving and thoughtful services imaginable. As with most services, people never remember what the Worcester Chorus sung that day or what the orchestra played. Most people don’t even remember what the President said that day. It was a day filled with emotion. The entire city mourned the passing of six ordinary, yet brave men.

I remember bagpipers from throughout the country, rising in unison to play Amazing Grace. To this day, whenever I hear that song, I think of that day.

Gore goes to fire sight

Later, after the service was finished, Vice President Gore visited the fire site and spoke to groups of firefighters who were still involved in the recovery effort. I remember him speaking to small groups of firefighter who at first didn't’t recognize him. He comforted them and spent about an hour at a makeshift rest area set up at what is now the CSX property. He then walked across the street alone, to the warehouse to say a prayer.

So tonight at 6:13 PM, the time of the first alarm we should all pause to remember the sacrifice of: Lt Thomas Spencer, Firefighters Paul Brotherton, Timothy Jackson, Jerimiah Lucey, James Lyons and Joseph McGuirk

Paul Giorgio is a longtime Democratic Party Activist who has worked on numerous campaigns. He was a Lead Advance Person for President Clinton & Vice President Gore. He was Deputy Director of Special Events for President Clinton’s first Inauguration. He has been elected a delegate to numerous Democratic National Conventions and recently served as one of President Obama’s representatives on the Platform Committee. In 2013 he was chosen as a Presidential Elector. He is the President of Pagio, Inc., publishers of Pulse Magazine, Vitality Magazine and Worcester Medicine.