The man who helped a woman escape a house fire last winter has been awarded with the highest civilian honor New York State can present; the Liberty Award.
On December 26, 2025, Richard Macheda was the first person to come across a house fire in Syracuse and helped provide life saving measures to a woman lying unconscious in front of the home.
When presented with the award Macheda said, “I just happened to be at the right place at the right time… I never expected anything like this. I didn’t do this for any recognition by no means; I did this to help someone in need.”…