Medford Teen Acted Quick When Fire Hit

When Alex Pagliaro smelled smoke early in the morning on Oct. 9, he didn't hesitate.  The 15-year-old woke his grandfather, called the fire department and got pets out of his family's home on Trout Avenue.

Pagliaro received a commendation from the Medford City Council Tuesday night for his actions.

“Because of Alex’s good leadership qualities and his ability to gather what was going on immediately, lives were saved,” councilor Fred Dello Russo said. "That’s not to be taken lightly.”

It was about 3 a.m. when Pagliaro went to the bathroom to take out his contact lenses and he smelled smoke, he said. He looked out to the front porch and saw smoke. That's when he went to wake his grandfather.

"I told him the house was on fire," Pagliaro said. "He didn't believe me."

Pagliaro was able to persuade his grandfather, and loudly enough that the downstairs tenants could hear him and they got out of the house, too. The fire department arrived shortly after and put out the fire, which started in electrical wiring on the front porch. The damage to the home was minor.

Along with getting his grandfather out, Pagliaro also retreived the family cat and dog. Alex's parents, Jenneen and Mark Pagliaro, were on vacation in Jamaica when the fire hit. If he hadn't been awake and smelled smoke, it could have been a lot worse, Jenneen Pagliaro said.

"Even my neighbor was proud," Jenneen Pagliaro said, "she told me he was so calm through the whole thing."