A Cambridge Fire Department mechanic is earning high praise after stepping out of the motor squad bay and into the middle of a tense arrest near Fresh Pond.
The department on Tuesday issued a formal commendation for motor squad mechanic Todd M. Peitzsch, crediting him with helping Cambridge police restrain a suspect officers said was armed. In General Order No. 15, Series of 2026, the department says Peitzsch intervened during a several-minute physical struggle on May 11 near Fresh Pond Parkway and Rindge Avenue and stayed with the effort until the suspect was taken into custody. The order cites his "exceptional courage, selflessness, and dedication to public safety."
Cambridge Fire Department on Facebook posted the signed order and photos on June 23 documenting Peitzsch's actions. The order carries the heading General Order No. 15, Series of 2026 and, according to the post, is signed by Thomas F. Cahill Jr. The Cambridge Fire Department Motor Squad page lists Peitzsch as M4 and confirms his role as a fire apparatus mechanic.
What the order says
According to the language in the signed general order, officers reported "a physical struggle with the suspect for several minutes prior to intervention" and said "the suspect was armed with a firearm." The document credits Peitzsch with assisting officers "to control and restrain a suspect" and notes that he "remained committed to assisting until the suspect was taken into custody." Those quoted portions come directly from the order posted by the department.
Local context and department recognition
The public commendation highlights how non-patrol personnel can suddenly find themselves crucial to on-scene safety when something erupts on the street. Assigned to the Motor Squad in the department's Technical Services Division, Peitzsch is typically tasked with keeping fire apparatus running, not wrestling with armed suspects. The department's signed order and social media post frame his actions as an employee stepping outside routine duties in a high-stakes moment, and they stand as the department's official public account of the recognition.
