State Fire Marshal Awards Talbot Residents for Oxford Fire Rescue
TALBOT COUNTY – State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci presented official Fire Marshal Honors to three Talbot County residents, including two juveniles, this afternoon at Oxford Fire Company for their heroic actions during a fire in Oxford, Maryland that saved the life of Deborah Cawley.
“Many people do not know how they will react in an emergency situation like the fire these three individuals faced,” said Fire Marshal Geraci. “Their quick-thinking under immense threat to life safety is a testament to their courage and conviction. They are a shining example of what it means to be a hero to someone.”
In addition to his office’s citations, the Fire Marshal also presented official Superintendent Salutes on behalf of Maryland State Police Colonel William Palozzi to Cawley’s grandchildren, Alexander Green (12) and Trevor Green (13), as well as their neighbor, Donald Broskey. All three individuals put their own personal safety at risk to save the life of Ms. Cawley during the house fire that resulted in multiple injuries, and $325,000 in estimated damages, on August 3, 2019.
“I am certain that had these gentlemen not responded so quickly to this life-threatening situation, Ms. Cawley would not have survived,” said State Fire Marshal Upper Eastern Regional Office Deputy Chief Caryn McMahon. “Her grandchildren responded with maturity well-beyond their years.”
The family used the event as an opportunity to shed light on their grandmother’s condition, ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Sadly, Ms. Cawley passed on Monday, August 26, 2019 after a long battle with this disease. To learn more about ALS and support research efforts, visit http://www.alsa.org/.
