The Police Department welcomed one new officer and the Fire Department welcomed two new firefighters at the Select Board meeting on Monday.
Police Chief Nick Secatore officially welcomed Officer Dan Ashwell to the department, who started two weeks ago.
Ashwell is a graduate of Lynnfield High School, a veteran of the United State Marine Corps, and a former sheriff in the Essex County Sheriff’s Department.
“We’re very excited to have him,” Secatore said. “We’re very fortunate to get somebody with his qualifications to come and serve in the community in which he lives.”
Ashwell addressed the Select Board and thanked the community for welcoming him.
Fire Chief Glenn Davis welcomed firefighters and EMTs Brenden Henehan and Michael Mansfield to the department.
Both Henehan and Mansfield were hired from within the call fire department, Davis said. They were sworn in last year when they were appointed as call firefighters and were promoted and hired as career firefighters on July 1 of this year.
“It’s a great farm team,” he said. “So, we relished the opportunity when we were funded this year to hire two new career firefighters.”
Henehan, a LHS class of 2021 graduate, said he and Mansfield are “grateful” the town was able to hire two new firefighters.
Mansfield, who was not able to attend the meeting, was born and raised in Saugus and has lived there for the majority of his life. He graduated from Saugus High School in 2014 with honors in his class.
“Public Safety has always been a part of my life, coming from my father who was a police officer for 40 years in Saugus and my cousin who is a firefighter in Manchester, New Hampshire,” he said in a follow-up. “Growing up and hearing the stories they both have experienced in their careers has always drawn my interest and the idea of having a career that gives my life meaning has always been a desire. Serving as a firefighter allows me to fulfill that desire.”
Select Board Chair Dick Dalton advised both Henehan and Ashwell to learn from the leadership within their departments and wished them luck in their careers.
“You’ve got great leadership… You can learn a lot from them,” he said.
