SHELBURNE — Thinking back to the morning of the March 4 fire that resulted in the deaths of five Warwick residents, Warwick Police Chief David Shoemaker and Warwick Fire Chief Ron Gates recall the numerous departments who provided assistance.
Two women were responsible for bringing the much-needed help to Warwick: Shelburne Control dispatchers Amanda Flechsig and Colleen Walker. Flechsig and Walker worked through the night, constantly communicating by phone and radio with at least 16 departments providing aid.
Wanting to thank the two for their crucial behind-the-scenes work, Shoemaker and Gates traveled to the dispatch center Friday morning, and presented Flechsig and Walker with awards “in recognition of (their) passion, unconditional commitment and enduring dedicated service during a three alarm fire,” the plaques read.
“We just really wanted to express our appreciation to not just Amanda and Colleen, but really to everybody up here,” Shoemaker said while presenting the awards. “Without these guys, we really couldn’t function.”
Flechsig and Walker, the only two dispatchers working when a call came in about the fire at 405 Richmond Road, worked as a team, contacting emergency responders to travel to the scene shortly before 12:45 a.m. on March 4. The first responders arrived within minutes, battling the blaze that had already engulfed the house.
The fire claimed the lives of Lucinda Seago, 42, and four of her children, Peter, 7, Demetria, 9, Martin, 12, and Nicholas, 15. Lucinda’s husband Scott and one child, Vivian, managed to escape.
“(Flechsig and Walker) were here during a really bad time for our town,” Shoemaker said, noting how important their roles are for Franklin County residents.
Shelburne Control communicates with 82 agencies, primarily police, fire and emergency medical services, to send help during emergencies.
“Whatever comes in, we try to be on top of it,” Walker said.
Walker and Flechsig, who have worked as dispatchers for one year and 2½ years, respectively, humbly accepted the awards.
“We were just doing our jobs,” Flechsig said. “That’s what we’re here for.”
You can reach Shelby Ashline at: sashline@recorder.com
413-772-0261, ext. 257