LYNN — In the first-ever four-week Youth Fire Academy program, 17 teenage cadets received certificates Tuesday night at the Centerboard building across from City Hall.
As the cadets sat before their friends and family, Lynn Fire Chief Steven Archer welcomed the enthusiastic crowd of friends and family. He described the program as one of the highlights of his career.
“If you were to ask me what my career highlights are from almost 30 years on this job, number one, would be that I had the honor of christening a rescue boat in honor of our oldest living retiree,” Archer said. “Very very close behind that, really close behind that, would be the first day I started to spend time with these 17 cadets right here.”
Archer added that through mock fire drills, EMT/first aid training, and intensive fire education, the cadets, who were paid through the Lynn Parks and Recreation Department’s summer job program, worked hard for their certificates.
“I can not tell you how encouraging it is, how uplifting it is for us as firefighters, some of us as grumpy, old gray-haired firefighters, to have a young, smiley-faced, bright-eyed group of cadets come into this program, work with us day in and day out for four weeks,” Archer said. “We did not go easy on them, we were not soft on them, we worked them.”
Following Archer’s opening remarks, he played a slideshow for the crowd shining photos of the cadets performing a number of activities such as: examining a burned-out car, putting out a mock fire, practicing CPR, operating fire hoses, and riding ATVs.
Archer recognized a number of cadets for their services, including three star cadets who received free EMT training courses, courtesy of Cataldo Ambulances: Joseph Amaro, Giselle Vides Perlera, and Saydy DeLeon.
Ward 3 City Councilman Coco Alinsug was among the crowd’s dignitaries: Mayor Jared Nicholson, Ward 5 Councilwoman Dianna Chakoutis, Ward 7 Councilman Jay Walsh, Councilor-at-large Brian Field, and School Committee member Lenny Pena. He said that he attended the banquet to show support for the Ward 3 cadets.
“I’m here with my fellow councilors to support the program, and a couple of Ward 3 kids here as well. I really like this program because the Lynn Fire Department is really training these kids ahead of time to become firefighters, and on fire safety as well,” Alinsug said.
In his closing remarks, Archer encouraged audience members to congratulate not only the cadets that they know, but others as well. He also invited the crowd to eat and shake hands with one of the firefighters present.
“I’m just going to ask that you do three things for me while we close out the night: One, is that you congratulate not only your own cadet, but congratulate some of the others, two, is shake the hands of one of the firefighters here who worked so hard to work with your cadet, and three, please make that food disappear,” Archer said.
Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at [email protected].