Divisions

Fire Prevention

Jason Ehrets, District Chief

The mission of the Fire Prevention Division is to help prevent the occurrence of fire, protect lives and to preserve property through education, enforcement, and engineering.

• Education: provides public safety awareness education in the identification and protection of common risks from fire and other potential hazards.
• Enforcement: enforces all requirements of M.G.L. 527 CMR 1.00, all adopted city fire codes and ordinances and administers all Permits and Licenses along with the necessary inspections to issue the same.
• Engineering: reviews and approves all fire protection documents in addition to witnessing a satisfactory functional test of all fire protection systems prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy. Plans Review Officer reviews all building and fire protection system plans for compliance to the Massachusetts Fire Code.

Operations Division

John Powers, Deputy Chief

The mission of the Fire Operations Division is as follows:

• Protects all of the City's citizens and visitors and their property during emergencies by extinguishing all fires, responding to emergency medical calls and the mitigation of all hazardous conditions.
• Stabilize and mitigate critical incidents outside of ordinary emergencies such as ice and water rescue, technical rescue and hazardous materials incidents.
• Maintain Emergency Management plans.
• Prepare and allocate resources to deal with any natural or man-made disaster within the City of Worcester.
• Provide communications support for the department.

Support Services Division

Adam Roche, Acting Deputy Chief

The mission of the Support Services Division is as follows:

• Provide personnel, payroll and budgetary support through the administrative staff.
• Responsible for WFD apparatus and equipment acquisition, maintenance and repair.
• Manage the internal and public information systems.
• Process grant applications.
• Maintain all WFD buildings.
• Provide oversight and support to the Fire Prevention Division and Training Division.

Training Division & Employment

Anthony Grokaitis, District Chief

The mission of the Training Division is to initiate and supervise the job development of firefighters commencing with the probationary period and continuing throughout their career. The Division provides the highest quality professional development training sessions to all personnel, allowing for the safe and efficient discharge of duties by members of the Worcester Fire Department.

Along with assisting in the hiring process and training new recruits, the staff is tasked with the continued coordination of required departmental recertification programs so members may retain their qualifications, certificates and/or licensing in such subjects as:

• CPR/Automatic External Defibrillator
• Emergency Medical Responder Training
• Hazardous Materials
• Live Fire Training

The Division also initiates training on new equipment, and the latest firefighting practices being used across the country.

The Worcester Fire Department has a relationship with local academia that fosters the utilization of our members in the development of new technologies and equipment currently being developed.