Travis Morcaldi ‘22, ‘23 will never forget June 8, 2025.
That was the day the third-year Fitchburg police officer was dispatched to respond to a call of a 16-year-old in distress.
He found the juvenile underneath the Rollstone Bridge, sitting on a 25-foot ledge.
The clock was ticking, but not as fast as Morcaldi’s heartbeats due to the severity of the call.
Morcaldi’s stress level was rapidly rising, but he didn’t panic. He remained calm, cool and collected – just like his schooling and police training taught him to do.
Morcaldi, a Fitchburg native and 2018 Fitchburg High School graduate, attended Fitchburg State’s groundbreaking police program, whose graduates complete a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, Municipal Police Training Committee certification to become a municipal police officer, and a master’s degree. He was a member of the program’s 5th Recruit Officer Course.
“When I heard the call come in, the first thing I did was plan different scenarios in my head as to how this call for help could be resolved most peacefully,” said Officer Morcaldi, who responded to the call with Officer Nathan Jorge.
Morcaldi said that the moment that he observed the juvenile, the first thing he did was to try and reason and make the juvenile comfortable with him while still trying to talk them away from the ledge.
At one point, Morcaldi explained, when the juvenile went deeper under the bridge, he eventually lost visual contact with them.
Morcaldi had to think fast – faster than his heart was beating.
He climbed the side of the ledge underneath the bridge – putting his own safety in danger – to where he could establish communication with the juvenile.
During these heart-stopping moments, Morcaldi was able to “build a rapport” with the juvenile and got them to hold onto his hand.
Once they locked hands with each other, Officer Jorge climbed up to Morcaldi’s position to assist as they pulled the person to safety.
“I felt a huge sense of relief and weight off of my shoulders knowing that this entire situation ended the best way possible,” Morcaldi said. “I am extremely proud of how my peers at the Fitchburg Police Department and Fitchburg Fire Department collaborated together to resolve this situation. This was easily a reminder as to why I chose this career; to help others when they are in need.”
For Officer Morcaldi’s exceptional services, exemplifying the outstanding work that the Fitchburg Police officers perform daily, he received a Commendation from Fitchburg Police Chief Steven D. Giannini. Fitchburg Mayor Samantha Squailia attended the brief ceremony.
“Officer Morcaldi's direct supervisor, Sergeant Joshua Lambert, submitted a report to the Operations Commander, Captain Jeffrey Howe, requesting that Officer Morcaldi be recognized for his actions during this call,” Chief Giannini said. “Thanks to Officer Morcaldi's professionalism, empathy, and courage, what could have ended in tragedy instead became a successful rescue. Officer Morcaldi's actions reflect favorably, not only upon himself, but upon the Fitchburg Police Department as a whole.Officer Morcaldi is an excellent young officer and is a daily example of the success of the Fitchburg State University Police Concentration Program.”
Morcaldi says that he’s “extremely honored and proud” to receive that commendation from Chief Giannini.
“It’s a privilege to be able to wear the Fitchburg Police Department’s patch on my arm,” Morcaldi said.
Morcaldi said the foundation of being ready to respond to this life or death situation were laid during his training, both in the university police program and his time with the Fitchburg Police Department’s field training officers (FTOs).
“Both during the academy and with the FTOs at the Fitchburg Police Department, they would discuss and reenact ‘what if’ scenarios to better prepare your response to different situations,” Morcaldi said. “One important aspect I learned is that the best tool that you can utilize is your words; this is what helped me on June 8th.”
I felt a huge sense of relief and weight off of my shoulders knowing that this entire situation ended the best way possible. I am extremely proud of how my peers at the Fitchburg Police Department and Fitchburg Fire Department collaborated together to resolve this situation. This was easily a reminder as to why I chose this career; to help others when they are in need.
It’s Morcaldi’s third year at the Fitchburg Police Department, and he’s still as energized and as motivated as the day he graduated from the police academy.
“Still to this day, I show up to work with a smile on my face and love what I do,” Morcaldi said.
What makes him show off that ear-to-ear smile is being able to interact with community members, young and old.
“I always try to get out of the cruiser as much as possible to just talk to people and occasionally, play a basketball pickup game with kids within my route,” Morcaldi said. “I believe that giving back to the community like this helps show people that police officers are just ordinary people like me and you. I strive to be like my supervisors to have the work ethic and critical thinking that they all have to better myself in my career, as they did.”
Morcaldi says working at the Fitchburg Police Department is like working with your family away from home.
“It’s a very close-knit group, and just know that no matter what, someone is going to have your back with their support whenever it is needed,” he said. “I am proud to have the opportunity to work alongside all of my peers and to give back to the community I grew up in.”
Morcaldi said he can trace his ambition to be a police officer to his days at Reingold Elementary School.
“I remember back in second grade doing a future career project and without hesitation, I chose my career as a Fitchburg police officer and kept my eyes on the goal to make it a reality,” Morcaldi said.
He later joined the first Junior Police Academy at the Fitchburg Police Department.
“Even back then, I knew that this was the organization that I wanted to work for and the same city to give back to,” said Morcaldi, who currently volunteers at the Junior Police Academy and spreads his message of dreaming big and never giving up until you accomplish your goals.
Morcaldi wanted to become a police officer because he wanted to stand up for those that did not have a voice, and to be the one that can try to be the change that others want to see.
“It’s not about trying to change the whole world at once, it’s about being the change in someone’s life,” Morcaldi said, recalling meaningful advice he received from Assistant Professor Michael McCutcheon of the university’s Behavioral Sciences Department. “If I can provide help to at least one person a day, then I know that I am doing the right thing.”
He said other students with a similar ambition should take a look at Fitchburg State’s police program.
“I think that if anyone did want to go into the field of criminal justice, it is by far the best opportunity to get you prepared for your future career,” he said. “To me, it is a win-win due to the academy being shorter due to taking part in the academy classes during your school terms, and walking away with the program with a police officer certification, along with a master’s degree in as little as one year later, which is huge to departments with an education incentive. With this program, you can cross off the milestone of completing the police academy on top of furthering your education and getting your master’s degree.”