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Crime & Safety

Jarrad Smith Named Firefighter of the Year

Honored by his peers for valiant effort in West Hartford man's rescue from furnace ordeal.

When the received an alarm June 9 about a man with an arm trapped in a furnace, Jarrad Smith of Station No. 3 knew one thing for sure.

“Collectively we can pretty much solve any problem," Smith said.

Smith and fellow firefighters Kevin Larsen, Paul Valdes and Lt. Dave McCombe joined and an EMS team in Jonathan Metz’s basement. Metz’s left arm was wedged in an old furnace he was trying to clean and repair.

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In an ordeal that lasted nearly two days, Metz, who lived alone, unsuccessfully tried to cut off his decaying arm halfway between the shoulder and elbow in a frantic effort to get free.

“I have a lot to learn and a lot of things to see,” said Smith, 24, who joined the department in 2008. “But one thing that I have learned is people will never cease to amaze you in some of the situations they find themselves.”

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For his role in a valiant rescue that received national attention, Smith will be honored as West Hartford Firefighter of the Year in a ceremony Thursday at the American Legion, Hayes-Velhage Post No. 96. West Hartford Mayor Scott Slifka will also present a proclamation.

Smith was nominated for the award by Battalion Chief Matt Stuart and was selected by his peers.

“He was right in the thick of it on that call,” Stuart said. “Seeing someone as young as him, with relatively little time on the job, dive right in, it was a nice thing to see. He did an outstanding job.”

The old cast iron furnace was especially well-built, Stuart said. Firefighters used a device normally meant to tear apart a car to free Metz. It took about 25 minutes and Smith, also a paramedic, “put himself between the harm and the victim,” Stuart said.

Although Metz’s arm could not be saved, the gut-wrenching attempt to sever the infected arm probably saved his life, doctors said.

“Over a career, you’re going to see a tremendous amount of human suffering,” Stuart said. “We didn’t expect any less out of Jarrad. But it’s nice to see a guy like that step up and not be afraid to get right in the middle of it and go to work.”

Smith’s ambition for a career in service came early. He became an EMT before he graduated from Newington High School in 2004. He was a volunteer in the Newington Fire Department from 2004-2008. Smith also went to paramedic school and worked for in West Hartford.

“I grew up really wanting to be a police officer,” Smith said. “It was by coincidence that the two guys teaching my EMT class in high school were both professional firefighters. I kind of heard their stories and started to get more interested. [As a volunteer] I fell in love with it. I figured that was the job for me. I liked the crew mentality.”

Teamwork saved Metz, said Smith, who still puts in a weekly shift at AMR in New Britain.

"If I was there alone, it wouldn’t have gone well," Smith said. "What attracted me to the fire service in the first place is that nothing any one individual does is that fantastic. Our biggest strength is [in numbers]. You have four sets of eyes, four brains and four sets of hands. Collectively we can pretty much solve any problem. And if we can’t do it, then you have the other [crews]. That’s the biggest strength we can throw at any problem.”

Station No. 3 on New Britain Avenue in Elmwood is one of five firehouses in West Hartford. Crews alternate working three 10-hour days and three 10-hour nights with three days off in between, Stuart said.

“It’s the kind of job that people are called to,” Stuart said. “We just want to recognize Jarrad for the fine job he did that day and his overall attitude toward the job and towards the people of West Hartford.”

When firefighters reached Metz, “He was exhausted,” Smith said. “He was awake and communicating but he was very lethargic and rightfully so. We had some guys who were experienced with those old furnaces. Without their knowledge we never really would’ve been able to disassemble it in any timely fashion.”

Metz, 31, was married in November. Smith was married in October.

“My wife [Julianne] is fantastic and very supportive about what I do,” Smith said. “She’s a speech pathologist so she’s in a helping profession herself. She gets it.”

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