GLOVERSVILLE — City of Gloversville Unit member Virginia Cary is being honored for her role in helping several residents and dogs escape a house fire.
Cary, who is employed at the city’s Department of Public Works, was on duty in a city truck recently when she noticed smoke coming from a residence. At the same time, another passerby, Christopher Rizzo, also noticed the smoke and stopped.
After calling the fire department, Cary and Rizzo set out to alert the home’s occupants by honking their car horns and pounding on the front door.
As noted in media reports, at great personal risk, they then pushed through the front door. They led the home’s three occupants and their three dogs to safety as the home was filling with thick smoke.
Soon, the fire department arrived and extinguished the fire that began in the gas furnace. The home’s damage was confined to the furnace and the residents were able to return to the home.
Fire authorities credited the keen observation and decisive action of Cary and Rizzo in saving lives and property that day.
— Therese Assalian
