Westminster Fire Department swears in new full-time firefighter and lieutenant
WESTMINSTER ― The Westminster Fire Department promoted full-time firefighter Joshua Emerson to lieutenant and hired Michael Sheehan as a new full-time firefighter. Both have aspirations to build a long career in promoting public safety.
Both men were sworn in on Jan. 25.
Emerson has been working with the Westminster Fire Department for the past four years and he is the lieutenant of fire group one. His promotion took effect immediately.
Sheehan has been a volunteer firefighter in Westminster for the past 10 years. Now he is a full-time firefighter for group three and his first full-time shift was on Thursday, Feb. 2.
Emerson aspires to be a good leader
Emerson, a Winchendon native, graduated from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London with a bachelor's degree in July 2015. After graduating, he came back to his hometown to decide what path he wanted to take next. During his search he saw a hiring sign for volunteer firefighters at the Winchendon Fire Department, which piqued his interest to enroll as a part-time call firefighter.
After enrolling as a volunteer firefighter in the fall of 2016, Emerson fell in love with the kind of work that the fire department does for the community, and it pushed him to get his EMT certification.
During his time in paramedic school, a peer said that Westminster was hiring full-time members and he should apply. In December of 2018, Emerson was hired as a full-time Westminster fire team member.
Emerson said what really pushed him to purpose a career with Westminster fire was the opportunities that the department offers to get involved with the community and to help all kinds of people.
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"I've always been interested in the medical field and helping people, so I was interested in the opportunities that the fire department offers people to really do some incredible things on a daily basis," he said. "Also, I felt like this career is a good way be able to help people, to learn new skills, and to challenge myself."
The group one lieutenant said his goal for the next five years is to be a good leader and keep the fire department growing in the right direction.
"We train on a very high level so that we can perform at a high level. We have, thankfully, right now not had anyone seriously injured on the calls and trying to keep that kind of safety record up is really important as well, and just being able to expand the things that we can do individually and the services that we can offer as as public safety to the community in the area of communities as well," he said.
Sheehan enjoys being involved in community
After Sheehan graduated EMT school in 2007, he started as a volunteer firefighter in Westminster. Then in 2017 he started working at several private ambulance companies until he applied for the open full-time Westminster firefighter position.
Sheehan said when he was a teenager, he was in a big car accident, and it was an off-duty EMT that helped him with his injuries. He said many years later, he ended up working in a dead-end construction job, but he remembered the man who helped him when he was younger, so he decided to go to paramedic school and volunteer as a firefighter.
Sheehan said has two short-term goals and one long-term goal for next five years. Sheehan is about to finish paramedic school and after he graduates, he plans to attend Massachusetts Fire Academy. He said after completing the fire academy he wants to get a degree in fire science to increase his knowledge in fire safety and to better service the Westminster public.
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"I just wanted to further my education," he said. "With a fire science degree, it gives us a broader knowledge base, so we do better on our jobs and provide a better service to the public."
This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Westminster Fire Department promotes Emerson, hires Sheehan full-time
