Just days before the Christmas holiday, two public safety employees were recognized by selectmen this week for their respective efforts that were characterized as above and beyond the call of duty.
The pair included firefighter/paramedic Cory Shepardson, who helped save the life of a Peterborough, N.H., man suffering from a medical emergency on a September 2021 Southwest Airlines flight from Boston to Denver.
Shepardson was traveling to Colorado Springs to visit a firefighters’ memorial with four active and two retired North Attleboro firefighters when they were alerted to a passenger experiencing symptoms consistent with a seizure.
Because the plane was equipped with a defibrillator, Fire Chief Michael Kelleher told selectmen, the rescue professionals immediately began performing CPR until the man’s pulse returned, then monitored him for the remainder of the flight
Since the flight included a planned layover at Midway International Airport in Chicago, the passenger was taken to an area hospital at that time.
“We coordinated with Chicago Fire from the air,” Shepardson recalled. “As soon as we landed, they had an ambulance meet us and take the patient off the plane.”
More recently, Shepardson and the six firefighters from North Attleboro were presented with a group Citation for Meritorious Conduct at the state’s annual Firefighter of the Year Awards, held last month at Mechanics Hall in Worcester.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Shepardson hasn’t been content to rest on his laurels. Earlier this fall, he spent 14 days in Florida with a FEMA team assisting in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
“Keeping you busy, saving lives,” selectmen Chairwoman Leah Gibson remarked.
Also at Tuesday night’s meeting, board members congratulated local police officer Ryan McGrath, who has been recognized by AAA for his efforts to enhance traffic safety on local roadways.
McGrath, who during the past year excelled in his duties as a traffic enforcement officer, was named a “traffic safety hero” in AAA’s northeast region, which consists of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.
Accompanied by his wife, parents and four children, McGrath accepted the award at town hall Tuesday night following a brief presentation by Police Chief Michael Grace.
According to Grace, AAA accepts nominations for the award based on job performance and other safety considerations in helping reduce motor vehicle injuries by encouraging safe driving through education and enforcement.
“Officer McGrath met and exceeded those standards, which resulted in his being recognized tonight,” Grace said.
Hired in 2017, McGrath obtained his motorcycle certification this past year, primarily to perform traffic enforcement duties.
“Day or night, hot or cold, he was out there on the bike stopping cars and answering calls and driving through neighborhoods,” Grace said, adding that McGrath wrote 331 motor vehicle citations in the past six months — about 17 percent of the entire department total.
Hundreds of other stops resulted in verbal warnings.
Grace said the department has received a significant amount of correspondence praising McGrath’s positive attitude and kind demeanor during calls for service, while assisting disabled motorists and even conducting traffic stops.
Grace said that Foxboro police have emphasized traffic safety, noting that local roadways often serve as a cut-through for motorists seeking to avoid congestion on interstates 95 and 495, as well as on routes 1 and 140.
Police accreditationIn a related matter, Grace took an opportunity to remind selectmen that the Foxboro Police Department this past fall was recognized as fully accredited by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission.
The accreditation process is a voluntary evaluation by the commission which strives to maintain high standards in law enforcement. Among other benefits, accredited departments can often reduce losses in liability claims, the commission says.
Spearheading the accreditation process locally were Deputy Chief Richard Noonan, Executive Assistant Lee McCarthy and sergeants Adam Byrnes and Lucas Drayton, Grace said.
Noonan, who served as team leader during most of the process, said he hoped that every member of the department, as well as all townspeople, would be proud of the honor.
Referring to accreditation as the “epitome of professional policing in Massachusetts,” Noonan said the local department worked hard to prove meticulous compliance with strict standards, internal policies and training guidelines.
“We achieved a high level of policing, but more importantly we do that in our day-to-day operations,” Noonan said.
Meanwhile, Grace said that a plaque which had been presented to the department will be displayed in the lobby of the town public safety building on Chestnut Street.
“I’m tremendously proud of our department and our accreditation team for rising to meet the standards outlined,” he said. “It’s a reflection on how well we operate as an organization and how we deliver police services to the residents and guests of Foxboro.”
Remarking on the distinction, Selectman Dennis Keefe compared the rigorous police accreditation to those conducted in the medical industry.
“I congratulate you, Chief Grace, and your whole department on this achievement because it’s an extreme undertaking and a wonderful result,” Keefe said.