Lynn swears in 10 firefighters; six more due near end of month

LYNN – A new crop of firefighters joined the Lynn Fire Department on Tuesday as a result of a federal grant the department received in February.The 10 firefighters were sworn in amongst family and friends in Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy’s office by way of a $1.4 million grant, which is also being used for improving operations and safety, filling training needs and equipment requirements.”All that I can say is when the chief (Dennis Carmody) came to me and we took a look at the test scores, backgrounds and accomplishments of those men, I was very pleased,” Kennedy said. “You all did a great job. Welcome to the fire department.”Carmody said six more firefighters will come on toward the end of July, along with additional hirings to bring the department to 180 by August or the end of September.”This is the first in a couple of waves of new firefighters,” he said. “I look forward to them getting trained and, in a short period of time, they will be running around protecting the citizens of Lynn.”Carmody said the group began their four-week training with the Lynn department on Tuesday and will be assigned to different companies in the city the first week of August. From there, they will work through the end of September, when they will enter the academy.”The department is going in a great direction,” Carmody said.The newly sworn-in firefighters are as follows: Bob Rotundo, Shawn Seaman, Reginald Liburd, John Lynch, Brian Greeley, Joseph M. Fannon, Leonard Cirineo, Justin Murray, Andrew Henkenmeier and Edwin Dominguez.Fannon, whose father, Joseph E. Fannon was promoted to lieutenant last month, said he’s happy to be able to carry on the family tradition of being a firefighter. He previously worked for Atlantic Ambulance for six years.”I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps,” Fannon said with a smile.