Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts??Host 2018 Fire-Ops for State and Local Leaders
Representative Jim Hawkins joined more than 20 elected officials to participate in daylong program
Representative Jim Hawkins,??Attleboro Local 848 Firefighter/PFFM??Legislative Agent at the 2018 FireOps, sponsored by the Professional Fire Fighters of MA. Photo’s courtesy of Ben Skerker
BOSTON ??? Representative Jim Hawkins joined his colleagues in Government from across the State this past Friday, May 4 to experience firsthand what it is really like to be a Firefighter.?? Sponsored by the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts (PFFM), elected officials put on bunker gear, boots, helmet, self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and took part in a series of intense and authentic Firefighting and rescue drills aimed at providing them a glimpse into the daily work of Firefighters.
???Fire Ops is an opportunity for State and Local leaders to see what we do on a daily basis,??? said Rich MacKinnon, Jr., President, Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts. ???They put on the 50-pound gear, they smell the smoke, and they experience the danger. But it???s also a chance for them to see why manpower and staffing levels matter and what we are doing to keep ourselves healthy. It???s not easy work ??? especially for a civilian with no training – ??and I am proud of the participants who took the time to join us.???
???I???m always proud of our Attleboro Local 848 Firefighters, but this experience was like no other,??? said Representative Jim Hawkins. ???It gave me a greater understanding of the daily risks of the job and why we as a community need to stand behind our firefighters 110%.???
???We applaud Representative Hawkins for taking a step outside of his comfort zone and stepping into our Firefighting boots for the day. We hope this gave Representative Hawkins and the other Legislator???s a better understanding of the everyday challenges faced in our Profession and why we advocate so hard for our Members safety both locally and across the Commonwealth.??? ??? Paul Jacques, Attleboro Firefighter and PFFM Legislative Agent
The FireOps program took place at the Boston Fire Academy on Moon Island in Quincy. All attendees were matched with a local PFFM member who provided guidance and safety throughout the process. The four real-life scenarios included an EMS rescue, vehicle crash extrication, live-fire suppression, and a stages of fire demonstration. ??
About the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts
The Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts represent more than 12,000 professional firefighters within 220 local unions from across the Commonwealth. More information about the PFFM can be found at??www.pffm.org