WORCESTER – Local and state officials held a ceremony at city hall on Tuesday to honor the commitment of eight Worcester firefighters.
Each of the Worcester firefighters received promotions.
“We’re all proud of having such a well trained department,” Mayor Joseph Petty said in his opening remarks for the ceremony. “Not only do we have some of the best firefighters, but we have some of the best training, the best education, the best equipment. We’re all proud to stand up here with these men and the city stands behind them.”
Acting City Manager Eric Batista, Fire Chief Martin Dyer and city councilor at-large Kate Toomey also gave speeches praising the commitment of the firefighters being promoted that day.
Here are the eight WFD promotions:
- John Powers was promoted to Assistant Chief
- Brian McGurl was promoted to District Chief
- Josh Pollinger and Michael Papagni were promoted to Captain
- Michael Pierce, Timothy Donahue, Thomas Salmon and James Turner were all promoted to Lieutenant.
Included in these promotions are two new positions never before held: assistant chief and training captain.
The new positions are part of a larger expansion of the WFD executive staff which was prompted by the results of a study done in fall of 2021 to measure efficiency within the department. That study lead to the creation of a strategic plan which called for expansion of ranks among other structural changes.
Around 90 people were in attendance, including many family members, to witness the ceremony.
See images from the ceremony below:
