Lieutenant Edward J. Walsh Jr. and firefighter Michael R. Kennedy tragically lost their lives attempting to put out the fire on Beacon Street last Wednesday. Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Finn said at the press briefing that evening that he had “never seen a fire travel that fast, escalate that quickly and cause such havoc,” in his 30 years on the job. While every firefighter goes into work each day knowing he or she could face a fire such as the one that started at 298 Beacon St., each deserve the admiration that the city has been showing since the recent blaze.
Boston isn’t perfect but when tragedies such as this occur, this city has proven that it truly appreciates the work of law enforcement and firefighters along with the sacrifices that each make.
While not alone in his condolences, notable Bostonian and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady expressed his feelings about the fire on his Facebook, saying: “On behalf of my entire family, I want to extend my deepest sympathies and condolences to the Boston Fire Department and the families of our brave and selfless firefighters who gave their lives for our protection and safety today, and to the entire firefighting community who protect us each and every day. All of you will be in our thoughts and prayers.”
Brady’s statement was thoughtful to say the least but what was a little less so was the vast media coverage the photos of him watching the fire received. Between The Boston Herald, The Boston Globe and The Huffington Post, just to name a few outlets, it almost seemed as if Brady was receiving as much coverage as the actual fire.
Considering the sensationalized coverage of the Malaysia Airlines plane was so recent, it was that much more uncomfortable to see the media make such a big deal of Brady watching the fire. The quarterback did what many residents around Beacon Street did that day. He reacted the same way many Bostonians did that day. It seems in bad taste to cover his reaction to a tragedy to that extent considering people were killed and injured because of that fire.
