Published in the May 21, 2021 edition.
WAKEFIELD — Wakefield Fire Chief Michael Sullivan said he is proud to announce the appointment of five new firefighters to the Wakefield Fire Department. Samuel Carr, Richard Bruno, Charles Curran, John Panzini and Jarrod Fitzpatrick were sworn in by Wakefield Town Clerk Betsy Sheeran during a brief ceremony at the Wakefield Public Safety Building on May 19, 2021.
The new firefighters were appointed to fill four new positions made possible by a federal 2019 SAFER staffing grant awarded to the department late during the fall of last year as well as a vacancy created by the retirement of Wakefield Fire Lieutenant Louis Sardella. The new appointments will bring the department up to a new staffing level of 55 including four groups of thirteen firefighters plus a Fire Prevention Officer, Deputy Fire Chief and Fire Chief.
Samuel Carr is a Wakefield resident and a veteran of the United States Navy, serving in the engineering division on two Navy destroyers, where he received specialized training in shipboard firefighting. He is a registered Emergency Medical Technician and is presently employed as a basic level EMT for Cataldo Ambulance. Sam is a graduate of Wakefield Memorial High School Class of 2014 and is presently working towards earning an Associate’s Degree in Fire Science from North Shore Community College.
Richard Bruno is a Wakefield resident and is employed presently as a driver for Pepsi. He has been a registered Emergency Medical Technician since May of 2015 and has served as a call firefighter with the Lynnfield Fire Department since October of 2016. He also holds a current Commercial Driver’s License. Richard is a member of the Wakefield High School Class of 2003 and holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Lasell College. He is a graduate of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy’s Call/Volunteer Firefighter Recruit Training Program and holds a certification as a Firefighter I/II.
Charles C. Curran III is a Wakefield resident and is presently employed as a Maintenance and Construction Supervisor for Eversource Electric. He has more than 11 years of experience working in the utility power service industry. He is a graduate of the Wakefield High School Class of 2005 and holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Marine Engineering from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. He holds a Massachusetts License as a Hoisting Engineer on excavators and telescoping booms without cables.
John Panzini is a resident of Peabody but originally from Wakefield. He has been an employed as a Deputy Sheriff and Corrections Officer in the Middlesex Sheriff’s Department, working in the Middlesex House of Corrections since September of 2017. He is a graduate of the Wakefield High School Class of 2014 as well as several police training academies.
Jarrod Fitzpatrick is a resident of Andover but originally from Wakefield and is presently employed by the Wakefield Department of Public Works Water Department. He is a graduate of the Winchendon School Class of 2014 and holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Cyber Security from Utica College.
The newly appointed firefighters are enrolled with the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy as part of Recruit Class 295, a 10-week training program, scheduled to start on July 26, 2021 with an anticipated graduation date of October 8, 2021. Chief Sullivan stated “I’m very pleased with these five new recruits. They are excellent firefighter candidates and I look forward to working with them as they start their new careers in the fire service.”
