LYNN — Six firefighters were promoted during a ceremony in the City Hall Council Chambers on Tuesday.
Capt. Joseph Zukas was promoted to district chief, Lts. Jon Godbout and Ryan Brown were bumped to captains, and Firefighters Andre Painchaud, Chris Fountain and Estarlo Abreu became lieutenants.
“It feels great,” Abreu said. “It feels great to get promoted after all your hard work and studying.”
All six were sworn into their new roles by City Clerk Janet Rowe. They swore to protect the city of Lynn as members of the Fire Department to the best of their abilities and uphold the Constitution.
Attending the ceremony were Lynn Fire Chief Stephen Archer, Deputy Fire Chief Arthur Richard, current and retired members of the fire department, Mayor Jared Nicholson, Ward 1 Councilor Wayne Lozzi, City Councilor-at-Large Brian Field, and friends and family of the six promoted firefighters.
Archer told the audience that these members have worked hard to get to where they are today. He said their new ranks are also thanks to their family and friends, who provided the support that allowed them to attain their goals.
“I want to emphasize how important they are to the Lynn Fire Department and the future of the Lynn Fire Department,” Archer said. “On behalf of myself and Deputy Chief Richard, I thank you all.”
Nicholson agreed with Archer’s assessment and added that the city is proud of the time and efforts these six men have committed to serving the community.
“On behalf of the city, we are proud of you,” Nicholson said. “We know how hard it is to get to this step.”
This is the first time in two years that a promotion ceremony was held in the Council Chambers.
According to Richard, last year’s promotion ceremony took place outside in front of City Hall. He said it was awkward due to onlookers who chose to stand on the sidewalk to watch the ceremony.
