Police/Fire

Watertown Deputy Fire Chief Graduates from Management Training Program

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Watertown Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson, second from left, at the graduation of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy’s Chief Fire Officer Management Training Program. Watertown Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson recently graduated Massachusetts Firefighting Academy’s Chief Fire Officer Management Training Program. Attendees of the 14-week program learned about the management fire departments not related to fire-suppression. As part of the course, Nicholson had to write a research paper that identified a problem or challenge facing the Watertown Fire Department in which he proposed a solution. He then had to present the proposal to be considered by a panel of municipal officials.

Government

Middlesex DA, Police Chief to Speak at Forum on Immigration in Watertown

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A panel discussion to support immigrant communities in Watertown and Middlesex County will be held at the Library on Feb. 20. Middlesex DA Marian Ryan, State Rep. Jonathan Hecht and Watertown Police Chief Michael Lawn will host a the conversation. According to Rep. Hecht’s office, the event is a panel discussion and Q&A on immigration in Middlesex County cities, towns, and courthouses, and aims to foster a supportive environment for our local immigrant residents.. The organizers sent out the following information:

Please join us for a Conversation about immigration in our cities, towns and court across Middlesex County.

Arrests

Police Log: Detectives Recover Stolen Items in Sting, Thief Foiled by iCloud

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests

Jan. 22, 1:02 p.m.: An officer spotted a driver going the wrong way down Edward Road, which is a one-way road. When they checked the man’s record, police found he was wanted on two warrants issued by the Wilmington Police Department for traffic offenses: unlicensed driving and speeding. The 48-year-old Nashua man was arrested on the warrants.

Charity

Watertown Schools Collecting Gift Cards, Donations for Fire Victims

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After the devastating fire that displaced 31 Watertown residents on Friday, the Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs) at the schools in town leapt into action to collect items to help those affected. The parent-teacher groups at the town’s three elementary schools, the Middle School and the High school all started collections over the weekend. “I am beyond overwhelmed with the response we have received to our call for donations!!!” wrote School Committee member Lily Rayman-Read on Facebook. “****A HUGE shout out to all the PTOs and the WHS PTSO for their incredibly hard work on organizing and setting everything up for donations.

Police Log

Police Log: Harasser of Company Vice President ID’d, Man Busted Trying to Scam Store

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrest

Jan. 13, 2:05 p.m.: A man was spotted going through the self-checkout at Home Depot and scanning some items but not the more expensive ones. Store security saw the man picking up two items and scanning only the cheaper one and then put both into the shopping bag. The cheaper item was a 15-amp three-way switch worth $3.48, but he did not scan the 20-amp circuit breaker, which cost $49.97.

Police/Fire

Cause of Four-Alarm Fire in Watertown Determined by Fire Department

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Fire blazed on the side of a home on Robert Ford Road Friday. The four alarm blaze damaged 12 units in the Watertown Housing Authority complex. The fire that damaged 12 units on Robert Ford Road on Friday appears to have started due to an electrical problem, according to the Watertown Fire Department. Watertown Deputy Fire Chief Tom McManus said the investigation into the four-alarm blaze lead to the basement of the building at 62 Robert Ford Road. “It appears to have started with a short circuit in the basement,” McManus said.

Fire Safety

Watertown Granted Money to Teach Fire Safety to Students & Seniors

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The following announcement came from the Watertown Fire Department:

State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey and Watertown Fire Chief Robert Quinn announced that the Watertown Fire Department has been awarded $5,663 for the FY ’20 Student Awareness of Fire Education or S.A.F.E. Program and $2,730 for the Senior SAFE Program by the state Department of Fire Services. Chief Quinn said, “Our firefighters enjoy working closely with our school teachers to help youngsters learn what they can do to prevent fires, to survive those that do occur, and how to respond correctly to fires and other emergencies.”

The S.A.F.E. Program was expanded to offer funds to local communities in support of senior fire prevention training. “The Senior SAFE Program will help us work with the seniors in our community who are most at risk of dying in a fire,” said Chief Quinn. “Seniors are the age group most at risk of dying in a fire. This program educates seniors on fire prevention, general home safety and how to be better prepared in the event of a fire.