Fire Award

Watertown Resident Receives Award for Bravery During a House Fire

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Watertown Fire DepartmentTeflon Donovan, center, receive the Medal of Commendation from Watertown Fire Chief Bob Quinn, left, and Watertown Fire Capt. Eric Allen, right, for saving a life during a house fire in April. The Watertown Fire Department awarded a resident for his quick action and bravery which prevented another resident from being harmed in a fire in April. On April 13, Teflon Donovan was sleeping in his home on Swetts Court when he awoke to the smell of smoke and the sound of a smoke alarm. He got up to investigate where the smoke was coming from. Donovan thought it was from the stove, but when it checked he found that was not the source.

Police/Fire

Fire Damages Apartment in Large Complex South of the Charles River

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A fire started in an apartment in an apartment complex on Watertown Street on Wednesday, but was doused before it spread within the unit or to other apartments. The Watertown Fire Department received the fire alarm at 1:31 p.m. on Wednesday. The fire began in the kitchen area of a unit in the Watertown Square Apartments, located at 20 Watertown Street. No one was home when the fire began, but it was discovered by an alert employee, said Watertown Fire Capt. Eric Allen, the WFD’s Fire Investigator. “There was a maintenance worker that was on the roof of the building that saw smoke coming out of one of the vents,” Allen said.

Police/Fire

Watertown Firefighter Graduates from Massachusetts Firefighting Academy

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Watertown Firefighter Christopher Filder graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy on May 7. The following announcement was provide by the Watertown Fire Department and the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy:

Firefighter Christopher Fidler graduated from the Massachusetts Fire Academy Training 10 week training program on May 7, announced Watertown Fire Chief Robert Quinn. 

“Firefighter Fidler will return to work (this) week to serve the citizens of Watertown,” Quinn said. “We are very excited to have him back.” The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy provided the following information about the training that Fidler and the other graduates received:

State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey and Deputy State Fire Marshal Maribel Fournier announced the graduation of 34 firefighters from 15 fire departments completed the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy’s 50-day Career Recruit Firefighting Training Program on May 7, 2021. Class #291 trained at the Stow campus and Class #BW10 trained at the Bridgewater campus.

Car Fire

Fire Damages Three Vehicles at Watertown Rock Climbing Gym

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A fire that began in an SUV parked in the parking lot of Central Rock Gym also damaged two vehicles parked nearby. The blaze at the gym on Acton Street was reported at 6:31 p.m. on April 26, said Watertown Police Lt. James O’Connor. “Upon arrival, officers observed a 2016 Ford Edge to be fully engulfed in flames,” O’Connor said. Watertown Firefighters arrived and saw that the fire had extended to two other vehicles — a Jeep Compass and a Subaru Outback. Deputy Fire Chief Rob Iannettta was the incident commander and ordered two hoses to be used to extinguish the fire, said Watertown Assistant Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson.

Police/Fire

Watertown Assistant Fire Chief Accredited by Mass. Fire Service Commission

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Watertown Fire DepartmentWatertown Assistant Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson. The following information was provided by the Massachusetts Fire Service Commission:

The Massachusetts Fire Service Commission granted accreditation to Assistant Chief Ryan Nicholson of the Watertown Fire Department on March 18, 2021 who has demonstrated the required fire service experience, education, and certifications for accreditation. This accreditation is granted through the Massachusetts Fire Service Commission, a gubernatorial appointed board that has established a process for uniform credentialing for the level of fire chief. Palmer Fire Chief Alan Roy, who serves as chair of the commission says, “The program establishes requirements based on education, training, and experience in areas relevant to serving as fire chief. It establishes benchmarks for training in fire and emergency service management so that chiefs may be better prepared to serve their department and their community.” The applicant’s documentation is reviewed by a subcommittee of the Massachusetts Fire Service Commission to determine if the individual has attained a minimum level of credits for education, training, and experience.

Around Town

Police, Fire & DPW Put on Parade for Young Watertown Cancer Survivor

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Young cancer survivor Noah McManus thanks the Watertown Police, Fire Department and Department of Public Works for putting on a parade outside his home on Friday. A 3-year-old Watertown boy had some special visitors Friday to help him celebrate the news that he has a clean bill of health after more than a year of cancer treatments. Noah McManus waved to the police cruisers, fire trucks and Public Works vehicles that drove by his home Friday afternoon. He watched dozen of vehicles roll past with his parents and older brother Lucas and baby sister Lilah. “This is more than we expected,” said Noah’s mother, Jessica.

Around Town

Watertown Police Officers Cook Up, Serve St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast to Homeless Veterans

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Watertown Police officers Keith Parent (front), Kyle Rooney, Frank Forde and Mike Martino work with a member of the New England Center and Home for Veterans to serve breakfast on St. Patrick’s Day. The effort was spearheaded by Forde. More than a dozen Watertown police officers and firefighters gathered early on the morning of St. Patrick’s Day at the Sons of Italy Hall to prepare a traditional Irish breakfast for 200 people at the New England Center and Home for Veterans.

Around Town

Fallen Watertown Firefighter Remembered on Fourth Anniversary of His Death

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Members of the Watertown Fire Department salute their fallen colleague, Joe Toscano, on the fourth anniversary of his death at a fire on Merrifield Avenue. The Watertown Fire Department came out in force to honor a colleague lost while fighting a fire in the East End four years ago. Firefighters and the family of Joe Toscano gathered on Bigelow Avenue, at the square dedicated to his memory. The sign bearing his name sits just down Merrifield Avenue from the home where the fire took place. Fire Chief Bob Quinn hung a wreath from the pole holding the sign marking Firefighter Joseph A. Toscano Square during the cermony.