Off-Duty Somerville Firefighter Saves Hockey Players Life, Receives Commendation

SOMERVILLE, MA – Somerville firefighter John Gullage was presented with a commendation at a city council meeting on June 8 for his life-saving actions while off-duty.

On May 19, Gullage and Danvers firefighter James Gallo were off-duty at the Veterans Skating Rink on Somerville Avenue when they saw a hockey player collapse on the ice and become unresponsive.

They rushed into action, grabbing an automatic defibrillator and attaching it to the hockey player. They performed chest compressions until more firefighters and a Cataldo Ambulance crew arrived.

The victim was transported to an area hospital and survived, Somerville Fire Chief Charles Breen wrote in an email.

Breen, in a commendation issued by the Fire Department, said that this was an example of the fact that firefighters are never truly off-duty.