Cy Hebert Honored as 'Firefighter of the Year'

Nashua Firefighter Cy Hebert, co-commander of the Nashua Fire Rescue Honor Guard, was honored as Firefighter of the Year at Nashua Country Club on Jan. 8. 

Below is a tribute read by Nashua Lt. Mark Wholey, honoring Hebert:

"Honoring your own is a task that firefighters are too often asked to do – yet it is a calling the drives our profession to perform at its best

Cy is a co-commander of the Nashua Fire Rescue Honor Guard, since the retirement of the groups founding member, Byron Breda. Under Cy's leadership the honor guard has seen incredible growth with new members joining, recommitment to team practices and the seeking of outside training. The NFR honor guard is one of the most respected groups in the area. This respect was earned over many years of hard work and continues today under the leadership of Cy.

Cy was one of two Nashua Fire Fighters to attend a week-long training program at the New Hampshire Fire Academy, Honor Guard Boot Camp, a program designed to teach protocol and procedure on honoring fallen firefighters. This was a program attended on his own time, knowing the skills and knowledge learned would be not for him, but for the department.

For the past two years, Cy was selected to serve as the Assistant Commander of the state of NH Fallen Firefighters Honor Guard at the New Hampshire Fallen Firefighters memorial in Concord, NH. In this role he commands the honor guard, which fulfills one of the most prestigious roles in the ceremony, honoring the state's fallen firefighters, presenting our nation's colors. In 2014 Cy will be the commander of the honor guard for the New Hampshire Fallen Firefighter Memorial.

This past December, the brookline Fire Department lost their long serving Assistant fire chief to a sudden cardiac event. While working to determine the most appropriate way to honor their chief, it became clear the task was daunting and assistance would be needed. A couple phone calls were made and Cy was on his way to Brookline to assist in the memorial service for the fallen Brookline chief. Cy worked with the department in the days leading up to, and including the day of, the funeral."