New firefighter class marks change

SAUGUS – Fire Chief Donald McQuaid wanted all of Saugus to know that its latest hired class of firefighters was “a really big deal” for the department.McQuaid was joined by Town Manager Scott Crabtree, U.S. Rep. John Tierney and a packed Town Hall auditorium in swearing in a group of 10 new firefighters for Saugus on Monday morning, eight of whom were hired due to the $1.2 million staffing grant the town received in December, part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency?s (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program. The other two were hired to replaced two retired firefighters, making the biggest recruit class in McQuaid?s memoryAccording to McQuaid, the 10 new firefighters will allow the Saugus Fire Department to staff 12-member groups for the first time, making the department and the town a lot safer.?We passed the SAFER grant after 9-11 because firefighters were being asked to do so much more,” said Tierney. “It?s certainly good to know our communities are safe and secure.”The new firefighters, in the order of how they were sworn in, are Anthony Arone, John Carozza, Michael Cross, Michael Ferreira, Michael Leary, Steven Marando, Ryan Poussard, Kenneth Powers, Cory Rutledge and Dennis Sanjurjo. They are all Saugus residents between the ages of 21 and 35.Radio transmissions echoed softly through the hall as the auditorium was packed with not only family members but the hires? new colleagues from the fire department and American Ambulance. McQuaid said he was looking forward to seeing the camaraderie and teamwork on the department in the next few weeks as the veteran firefighters assist in training the new hires.The families were able to assist with the official pinning of the firefighters once they took the oath to swear them into public service. Lisa Marando, wife of Steven Marando, came to the podium to pin her husband, accompanied by their 3-year-old son, Dominic. “That?s my daddy!” he exclaimed, to which Crabtree responded, “Your daddy is a firefighter now.”Union President Billy Cross said it was a special day to witness the swearing in of nephew Michael Cross with his own father, a retired fire captain from Chelsea also by the name of Billy Cross.?He?s been around this life since he was a little kid, and it takes a special person to take this job today,” said Cross of his nephew.The grant will pay for two years of salary, training and benefits of the eight firefighters, which has had town officials and other community members wondering how Saugus will budget for their salaries in the future. Cross and other union representatives have suggested the town use the new hires to build its own ambulance services. Crabtree recently shared at a Finance Committee meeting that some of the eight may be funded an extra year because of their veteran status.