'Hero' EMT Says She Was Just Doing Her Thing

Cindy Sanden is surprised she was awarded the Phillipston Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief Richard H. Perkins Heroism award, "because that's just what you do," she said.

Her father-in-law, Phillipston selectman Dan Sanden, agrees: "I would expect that of Cindy, I would expect her to step up to the plate when she was needed."

Mrs. Sanden, an emergency medical technician for 15 years, received the honor Sunday during the Phillipston Firefighters' Christmas Prelude for her heroic efforts to save lives after a car crash on Route 2 in September.

Deputy Fire Chief Doug Wheeler recounted her act of heroism when he and Elaine Clayton, president of the Phillipston Firefighters Association, presented the award.

Deputy Chief Wheeler said, "On Sept. 13, 2006 at 3:30 p.m. the Phillipston Fire Department was dispatched to a motor vehicle accident by Exit 19 and State Road. This call would turn out to be one of the most horrific calls in the department's history.

"We lost two lives at that accident and transported a 6-week old baby via life flight to UMass (Memorial Medical Center in Worcester)," he said. "What only a couple of us knew was that an individual stopped and gave these people the greatest gift anyone could give - a chance to survive.

"Cynthia Sanden was driving along State Road when she came upon the accident," he said. He said that without hesitating, she used equipment from a State Police cruiser and tried to revive one of the victims. He said she also directed others on how to treat the child in order to assure its safety.

"All this time, the car was hanging dangerously over her head," he said.

"Cynthia, we all wish the outcome had been different, but your action and doing what you did gave these people the best chance to survive," he said.

Jill Gaskell, 44, and her daughter, Chelsea Gaskell, 16, of 38 Twichell St., Athol, died in the crash when the car Mrs. Gaskell was driving went off Route 2 westbound in Phillipston and crashed into an embankment below on Route 2A/202.

Chelsea Gaskell's 1-month-old son, Hunter Patrick Gaskell, survived the crash without serious injuries.

Mrs. Sanden said, "I pulled over to see what could be done because that's what you do. I was surprised to be honored. I was surprised and humbled.

"I couldn't have not stopped, because that's the way I was brought up," she added.

She also learned why time seems so long for people waiting for help, because there was a delay before additional help and equipment arrived. She said those minutes seemed very long.

Mrs. Sanden said she came from a family that takes public service seriously. Her parents were both EMTs, her father was a firefighter, one brother is a firefighter, another a police office, her sister is a district attorney, and her grandfathers on both sides were firefighters, she said.

"But I really think the first EMT was my great-grandmother Jessie Smith, a midwife, who used to ride along with the doctor on calls," she said.

Mrs. Sanden said she was on the way home from school at Mount Holyoke when she decided to take a different route and came upon the accident. "I can't tell you why I decided to change my route," she said.

Mrs. Sanden gave credit for the baby's care to the volunteers who stopped and listened to directions, instead of taking the child out of the protection of the car seat before it was time.

The Phillipston Fire Department established the heroism award in honor of longtime Deputy Fire Chief Richard H. Perkins, who retired after many years of service to the town, according to Deputy Chief Wheeler.

Deputy Chief Wheeler said the award was established to recognize a member of the general public who goes above and beyond what anyone could expect at a time of true emergency.

The recipient is nominated by a group of residents, he said. The decision was made by Nadine Perkins, Mr. Perkins' widow, Fire Chief Richard Stevens, and Ms. Clayton.