Government

Town Council, Town Officials Salute Watertown’s Fallen Firefighter

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This week, the Town Council and Town officials honored fallen Watertown Firefighter Joseph Toscano with a moment of silence at the end of Tuesday’s Town Council, and shared their condolences. Town Council Mark Sideris spoke on behalf of the Town Council. “We express our condolences to his wife, his family and his firefighter family in Watertown and across the state,” Sideris said. Sideris also thanked Watertown Fire Chief Mario Orangio and the Fire Department for arranging the funeral for Toscano on March 22. “It was a day that we can say we were all proud to be from Watertown,” Sideris said.

Police/Fire

Middlesex Sheriff Introduces Citizens Academy for Developmentaly Disabled

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Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian is pleased to announce a new initiative aimed at engaging local residents with developmental disabilities. The Special Citizens Academy is a free, four-week program that will launch April 11 at the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office Training Academy in Chelmsford. The program is designed for residents ages 18, and above, with developmental disabilities who have an interest in public safety and learning more about the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office. “As we continue our efforts to engage more residents within Middlesex County, we see this Academy as incredible opportunity to introduce more people to who we are and what we do,” said Sheriff Koutoujian. The Academy will meet once a week for two hours and include presentations on the role of the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office (MSO); the MSO’s K-9 Unit; Internet Safety and Awareness; Fire Safety and First Aid; as well as Mobile Operations.

Break ins

Watertown Police Investigating a String of Break-ins of Local Businesses

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Watertown Police are investigating a string of break-ins of businesses that took place last week. Eight businesses on Mount Auburn Street and Spring Street were broken into between 11 p.m. on March 21 and 6 a.m. on March 22, according to Watertown Police Lt. James O’Connor. An undisclosed amount of cash and a laptop were taken from these locations. The break-ins occurred in three clumps, with two in the 200 block of Mt. Auburn Street, three in the 500 and 600 block of Mt.

Arrests

Police Log: Small Fire Damages Home, 2 Residents Hit by Phone Scams

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrest
March 18, 3:04 p.m.: Police arrested a man for repeatedly returning items to Target which he had previously stolen from the store. The man was seen taking a mountain bike and a hat and walk out of the mall entrance of Target and putting them into his 1996 Ford Crown Victoria parked out front. Then he came back into the store with a woman, and they attempted to return a television at the customer service desk. The store discovered he had returned a number of items recently and called police, who were able to recover the bike and a box of Legos from the car.

Fallen Firefighter

1,000s Bid Farewell to Fallen Firefighter Toscano – a Loving, Renaissance Man

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Joseph Toscano, the Watertown Firefighter who lost his life in the line of duty on March 17, was a humble man who would never boast about his talents and accomplishments, but those who remembered “Joey T.” during his funeral service Wednesday morning remembered him as a great firefighter, an amazing father and as a multi-talented Renaissance man. The outpouring of love and support from friends, family and others has been very comforting to Toscano’s family, said his oldest daughter Alyssa during the funeral at St. Patrick’s Church in Watertown. Thousands of firefighters from around the Massachusetts and beyond lined Main Street to watch Toscano’s funeral procession arrive at the church. Last Friday started as a typical morning, as Toscano said goodbye to his family on his way to work, but a few hours later phone calls from the Watertown Fire Department reported a life-changing tragedy.

Police/Fire

Firefighters from Across the Nation Pay Their Respects to Watertown’s Fallen Firefighter

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The sorrow of bagpipes echoed through Watertown for the second time in three years. On Wednesday, thousands of firefighters gathered to pay their final respects to fallen firefighter Joseph Toscano. Tosacno’s funeral was held at St. Patrick’s Church at 11 a.m. Firefighters from across the state, and as far away as California, lined Main Street in Watertown Square to salute Toscano as his casket was brought to the church atop a Watertown Fire Engine. Toscano died suffering a medical emergency while battling a two alarm-blaze at 29 Merrifield Ave.

Police/Fire

Volunteers, Community Come Together to Welcome Attendees of Firefighter’s Funeral

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It takes a village, or in this case a town, to put on a funeral for a fallen hero. Work began in the days before the funeral for fallen Watertown Firefighter Joseph Toscano on Wednesday morning. And volunteers, organizations and business owners all chipped in to welcome thousands of firefighters from around the Bay State and across the country to Watertown. They provided food, shelter and – maybe most importantly – restrooms.

Just after dawn on Wednesday, a few canteens set up to provide breakfast, coffee, and later lunch for the many “jakes” who descended on Watertown Square. The Boston Sparks Association, a volunteer group operating out of the Boston Fire Museum, setup about 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Fallen Firefighter

Toscano Overcame Challenges as a Youth to Become a Fine Firefighter, Husband

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Thousands of firefighters are expected to pour into Watertown Wednesday to bid farewell Firefighter Joseph Toscano, who died in the line of duty and whose funeral will be held Wednesday. But a couple knew the fallen hero better than anyone. 

When Watertown Deputy Fire Chief Bob Quinn needed to appoint an aide 12 and a half years ago an he knew the Toscano was the perfect man for the job. “He was my first choice,” Quinn said. “I need someone that I could rely on, someone that I could trust, someone who could make decisions to help me make good decisions.”

Quinn said Toscano’s death is a “devastating” blow for the department. “He was a fantastic person,” Quinn said.