WEST DENNIS – The Dennis Fire Department was recently awarded a $1.3-million Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant from the federal government for the hiring of 8 new firefighters. The department provides both fire and EMS capabilities so—on top of being firefighters—the new hires have to be emergency medical technicians or paramedics as well. When the employment application period ended on November 10, the department had 114 applications in hand.
The SAFER grants are designed to help fire departments increase or maintain the number of trained, “front line” firefighters available in their communities. The 3-year grant pays 75% of the new-hire employment costs for the first and second year, and 35% for the third. The community picks up the total cost thereafter. For the grant to be awarded the community must accept those terms and Dennis voters did just that at a special town meeting on October 17, 2017.
Maintaining Trust
Mark Dellner has been the Dennis Fire Chief since 2005 following a 15-year career as chief in Rochester, New Hampshire. He said, “The Department is deeply grateful to the citizens of Dennis for accepting the full terms of the grant. This is one more example of the strong support the town has shown our fire department over the years. It’s up to us to maintain that trust and deliver on our commitments. The 8 new firefighters will help us do that by significantly improving our response capabilities and enhancing the safety of our firefighters and citizens alike.”
Meeting National Standards
Dennis Assistant Fire Chief and Fire Inspector John Donlan, a 40-year veteran of the department, said the new firefighters would strengthen the department’s ability to meet National Fire Protection Association standards for emergency service delivery, response capabilities, and resources. “Close to 50 percent of our calls overlap with another incident. Often times, 3, 4, or 5 calls happen simultaneously. The current staffing levels are often overwhelmed. The additional personnel will provide better service and response times for emergency situations.”
Integrity, Compassion, Commitment
In charge of operations at the Dennis Fire Department, Deputy Fire Chief Bob “Buster” Brown has been on the job since 1976. One of his responsibilities is managing the hiring process. “Finding the right people is a challenge,” he said. “We need individuals with integrity, deep compassion, and a heartfelt commitment to help others. We are looking for people who are well educated and understand that education is an on-going process with consistent engagement over the long term. Finally, our members live and work together in stressful conditions for 24 hours at a stretch. This calls for individuals who can get along with others in a dynamic family environment.”
An Opportunity to Learn
Dennis Fire Lieutenant Dan O’Connell has been a firefighter/paramedic with the department since 1993. Prior to that he served in the United States Marine Corps for 4 years finishing out his career in Force Reconnaissance. He recently received the Lloyd H. Bremmer Leadership Award from the Cape & Islands Emergency Medical Service System. The award recognizes an EMS professional “who displays exemplary leadership skills and determination that move the EMS system forward on a daily basis while motivating those around them to do the same.” For O’Connell, the prospect of 8 new colleagues means an opportunity not only to teach but also to learn. Describing the new generation of firefighters he says, “They have more schooling than we did to begin with, and they pick up new technologies in a flash. I will teach them how to be safe and pass on some old-school techniques, but I’m looking forward to learning new things from them.”
Increased Safety
Dennis Fire Captain Wayne Conlon is a 35-year veteran of the department and president of the Dennis firefighters’ union for the past 27 years. He is the longest-serving firefighters’ union president in Massachusetts. About the 8 new firefighters he said, “First, speaking for the union, we wish to thank the citizens of Dennis for providing the additional staffing to better support our mission. For me, the value of the new firefighters comes down to one thing—safety. Additional firefighters on each shift mean increased safety for our members and, most importantly, increased safety for the people of Dennis.”
The Dennis Fire Department plans to have the new members on the job by January 18, 2018.
Media release furnished by Dennis Fire Department
