By Betsy Levinson — Betsy@concordbridge.org
The Rotary Club honored members of Concord’s police and fire departments last week at the annual ceremony held in memory of the Concordian who lost his life in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001.
The Al Filipov Award for Courage and Service honors “first responders who sacrifice each day for the protection and safety of our community.”
Firefighter Jesse Caney received the honor for taking swift action to help a severely injured 16-year-old motorcyclist he and a friend encountered while driving through Westfield in June.
“The Filipov Award has a great deal of meaning to the department because it is a day to reflect on 9/11 and a very real connection to someone from our community,” Fire Chief Thomas Judge told The Concord Bridge. “The Concord Rotary Club does a great service to Mr. Filipov’s memory every year, and we are honored to be included.”
Courtesy photo
Concord Police Sgt. John O’Connor and Officers David Braga, Brendan Fitzgerald, and Jake Miller received the Filipov Award for what Chief Thomas Mulcahy described as their “life-saving efforts to intervene and help an individual who was experiencing a mental health crisis.”
Mulcahy expressed gratitude to the Filipov family and the Rotary “for continuing to hold this annual event to honor our first responders… Receiving this award in the name of Mr. Filipov, a man of service to others, means a great deal to our officers who are proud to put the uniform on each day to serve this community.”
Filipov, a longtime Concordian, was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 11 from Boston to Los Angeles, which was deliberately flown into the World Trade Center 23 years ago in the worst-ever terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
An electrical engineer by profession and a sailor by passion, he is remembered as a Rotarian, a faithful parishioner and deacon of the Trinitarian Congregational Church, a Boy Scout leader, and a Little League coach.
Rotarian Sharon Spaulding called Filipov “a great man who exemplified the qualities of courage and service… He was thoughtful, humble, hardworking, and prioritized volunteer work and community involvement.”
A donation to Special Olympics Massachusetts will be made in the fire department’s name, and a gift to The Brotherhood for the Fallen-Boston will be made on behalf of the police.
