Saugus Fire Department promotions announced

SAUGUS – A pair of Saugus firefighters moved up in rank recently, as the Fire Department welcomed a new captain and a new lieutenant.Capt. Tom Kaminski will be working in fire prevention after 15 years on the job while Lt. Tom Deon received his promotion after eight years.Kaminski, 47, said making the change from fire suppression to fire prevention will be a challenge after starting last week.?There?s a lot of paperwork, permitting and inspecting,” said Kaminski, who was a lieutenant on Engine 3. “It?s completely different from my old job. It went from two 24-hour shifts a week to five days a week in the office. It?s like a regular job now. It?s definitely different, so I?m still adapting.”Kaminski said he?s been spending most of his time learning on the job about all aspects of fire prevention, from sprinklers and alarms to building codes and inspections.?It?s a case-by-case basis,” said Kaminski. “If someone calls with a situation I?ll review the appropriate laws and building codes then go out and take a look at the property and then come back and look at the codes again.”Kaminski said he?ll miss going out on calls, but will still get a few in if he works overtime.Deon, 37, has been with the department for eight years and said it took a “considerable amount of time” to pass the civil service exam to be named lieutenant.?Most guys study six months to a year so you can place well on the test,” said Deon. “In a small department it can be very competitive. You?re fighting for one position so you really have to put the time in.”Deon said there?s also hours of extra education that firefighters have to put in on their own time.?I got my associate degree in fire science in 2007 and the fire academy offers a myriad certification courses to prepare you to be an officer,” said Deon. “Just in the past year I?ve taken three of those which is about 150 hours of additional training.”Now that he?s a lieutenant, Deon said his job will shift from being “task-oriented” to looking at the “whole picture” and making sure the firefighters he oversees are safe?The toughest part of the transition is you have to step back sometimes,” said Deon. “I?m looking at the hazards, making sure no one gets run over by a car. I?m ultimately accountable for their safety and lives. That?s the big thing. I have to make sure those guys get home the next morning. We?re a close-knit group. It?s like having 40 brothers basically.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].