Press Release  Two Community Corrections employees thwarted an arson attempt at the Salisbury Community Corrections Center

Salisbury, MA — John Gibbons, Essex County Court Services Coordinator, and John Silva, Assistant Court Services Coordinator, were walking across the grounds of the Essex Community Corrections Center building one Saturday last month when they noticed a man coming from the back of the building, located at 80 Elm Street in Salisbury.  As they approached, Gibbons and Silva saw a fire in the rear porch.  The two employees had returned to the building, which was closed, to drop off a group of probationers who completed a community service project in the area.

Gibbons and Silva attempted to put the September 7 fire out with a fire extinguisher but it had grown too large. Gibbons said he also crawled under the porch and kicked dirt on the fire in an attempt to put it out. Silva then called 911 to alert the fire department.  The Salisbury Fire Department got the fire under control before it spread to the main building. There was minimal damage to the property.  The two Community Service employees recognized the suspected fire setter as an employee at a nearby business. The suspect was later arrested and charged with attempted arson and vandalizing property. 

"John Silva and John Gibbons are stellar examples of Probation employees going above and beyond. Their selfless efforts prevented a building from going up in flames and their colleagues from being displaced. I want to thank them for their bravery and quick thinking," said Massachusetts Probation Commissioner Edward Dolan.

“I would like to commend John Gibbons and John Silva for their heroic actions. Thank you for your many years of dedicated service to the Massachusetts Trial Court, Massachusetts Probation Service, and the Office of Community Corrections which are embodied by the action you took that day to protect the community of Salisbury,” said Vincent L. Lorenti, Jr., Director of the Office of Community Corrections.

Gibbons, a three decade Probation employee, said he thought of his co-workers when he saw the blaze.

“When working with co-workers for a long time, they become our second family. When I realized the building was going to burn down, I thought of them and how it would affect them. I didn’t want anyone to be displaced, so I crawled under the OCC building and started kicking dirt on the fire. I am truly blessed to be working with such nice people and would do it again without hesitation,” Gibbons said.

Silva also recounted the incident stating that he too was concerned about his co-workers.  “When I first noticed the fire, I called 911 and asked for fire and police assistance because I noticed it was a controlled effort to start a fire with objects being piled on top of each other,” Silva said.

The Salisbury facility, managed by the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, is one of 18 community corrections centers across the Commonwealth.

In the group photo above, from left to right, are OCC Director Vincent Lorenti. Essex County Court Services Coordinator John Gibbons and Assistant Court Services Coordinator John Silva. Assistant Statewide Supervisor Lisa Hickey and Statewide Supervisor David Skocik.

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