January 2026
Issue #6
The Executive Board
President
Chief Patrick Purcell
Westborough Fire Department
Immediate Past President
Chief Michael Kelleher
Foxborough Fire Department
1st Vice President
Chief Brian F. Nardelli
Brockton Fire Department
Secretary/Treasurer
Chief Kevin P. Partridge, Ret.
2nd Vice President
Chief Christopher Norris
Easthampton Fire Department
Message from the Executive Board
President Purcell attends Governor Healey State of the State
President Purcell attended the Governor’s State of the State address at the State House on January 22, following an invitation from Governor Maura Healey. Chief Purcell attended with Marshal Jon Davine and Chief Jeffrey Bacon of the Fall River Fire Department, who was honored as a special guest of the Governor and recognized for his department’s life-saving response to the Gabriel House Assisted Living tragedy.
Message from the eBoard
As we turn the page to a new year, what a great opportunity to have a clean slate and review annual organizational actions and procedures that help continually move our departments forward. New beginnings signify fresh starts, often triggered by department changes (new hires, retirements, new equipment, vehicles, procedures) or intentional shifts, creating powerful opportunities for organizational growth, self-improvement, and achieving goals by letting go of the past and embracing possibility, even if it requires the courage to embrace change, learn from failures, and take action for growth. One area for departments to focus on with the start of the new year is their annual service on equipment. Annual service on our fire equipment is crucial because it ensures life-saving devices work when needed, prevents catastrophic failures, and keeps facilities compliant with fire codes, avoiding hefty fines and legal liability, extends the lifespan of the equipment, and ultimately improves the operational readiness of this equipment to increase the safety of our members and the community. Although not a comprehensive list, the following bullet points hopefully help to provide some framework for our members to begin their annual service and understand what should be considered based on the national standards (with the updated consolidation codes):
- Ground ladders- NFPA 1930, 17.1.6- annually
- Aerial ladders- NFPA 1910, 23.1.1- annually
- Aerial ladders- NFPA 1910, 23.1.2- 5-year non-destructive test
- Fire hose- NFPA 1930, 22.2.2- annually
- Fire hose- NFPA 1930, 22.9.1- Hose manufactured after 1987 shall be removed from
service - Nozzles- NFPA 1930, 23.3- Each nozzle shall be tested as frequently as the hose with
which it is attached (annually) - Air Cascade Systems- NFPA 1989, 5.1.1- Four breathing samples per year
- Pump Testing- NFPA 1910, 22.2- annually
- SCBA units- NFPA 1850, 17.2.1.3- annually
- Replacement of SCBA cylinders- NFPA 1850, appendix C.3- Composite cylinders life
span of 15 years - Service of SCBA cylinders- NFPA 1850, C.1 & C1.1- Requalification every 5 years
- Fire Extinguishers- NFPA 10, 7.2.1.2.1- Fire extinguishers shall be inspected every
month - Fire Extinguishers- NFPA 10, 7.3.2.1- Annual external examination of extinguishers These examples provide just a quick snapshot for departments to think about. As we begin to develop our budgets, start to finalize our budget deliberations, or prepare for grant applications, use this information to help justify the need for additional funding or demonstrate the need for new equipment. The unfortunate reality is that many NIOSH line-of-duty death reports reference the failure of organizations to complete some of this routine maintenance, thereby acting as a contributing cause to the firefighter fatality. The hope is that some of this information will help many of our new Chiefs who may not have been aware of these topics, and to help remind all our tenured Chiefs.
- The new year is widely seen as a time full of opportunities for growth, change, and fresh starts, offering a chance to set goals, reflect, learn, and create a better future by embracing new experiences and challenges with optimism and action. It’s a blank slate that allows us all to pause, reflect, and begin anew, focusing on daily progress, organizational improvement, and a
- community-centric focus that will allow us to provide the best possible service. We hope this information helps empower our members to make strong decisions in 2026. Happy New Year everyone!
Please update your contacts and begin to use the following emails for FCAM:President: president@fcam.org
secretary@fcam.org
board@fcam.org
Upcoming Meetings & Trainings
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2026 FCAM Conference
February 24, 2026 - February 26, 2026
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Each year a group of dedicated fire chiefs work to enhance the professional development of our fire leaders through these educational seminars. The 2026 theme “Ignite, Adapt, Overcome: Leading in Today’s Fire Service” stands as the foundation in all we do. Through professional development seminars like this, we hope to prepare fire leaders to face (more…)
Monthly Highlights
Wildfire training session
Thank you to all who joined the New England Wildfire Preparedness Webinar the recording of the webinar is attached and in the members library for your use.
Here is a link for the recording of the Wildfire Webinar. For our external partners, please feel free to download the recording to use for department and/or company officer training. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.
Externals
- Upon clicking the link, you will have to enter the email address in which the link was received
- Moments later, you will receive an automated email with an access code as part of multi-factor authentication.
Upcoming Meetings
In Memoriam
Retirement Well Wishes
Fire Chief Timothy Smith, Falmouth Fire Department
Fire Chief Laurenr McDonald, Oxford Fire Department
Fire Chief Mike Bussell, Ashby Fire Department
FCAM Welcomes
Fire Chief Luke Hartnett, Montague Center Fire Department
Fire Chief James Browne, Burlington Fire Department
Fire Chief Christopher Cesati, Haverhill Fire Department
Assistant Chief Brad Cronin, Avon Fire Department
Deputy Chief Daniel Moore Jr., Plainville Fire Department
Associate Member Mark Cady, LB Comms-LLC
Important Notes
PDC Registration and Conference Schedule
Legislative Priorities 2025–2026
- All of the 6 Senate Bills and 2 House Bills regarding the creation of a Public Safety Building Authority have been reported out of Committee favorably. We have never had any of these Bills progress this far.
- There has been a lot of activity surrounding the Ambulance Reimbursement/Patients’ Rights Bills. We have had several meetings with both the House and Senate Sponsors and their staffs, and the national news had an interview with Senator Moore regarding his version of the Bill
- The Bristol County Legislative Clam Boil is scheduled for February 12th, and the Essex County Legislative Breakfast is scheduled for February 13th.
- CFSI is March 18th – 19th. Currently we have 57 Chiefs making the trip.
FCAM History
Massachusetts has been represented by five members of the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts (FCAM) who have had the privilege of serving as President of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). In the late nineteenth century, numerous U.S. cities transitioned from volunteer to paid fire departments. A combination of significant events—such as major urban fires and advancements in communication—spurred the formation of the IAFC. Key leaders from cities including Portland, Chicago, Boston, and Baltimore convened in New York City in 1873 to discuss establishing a national association for fire chiefs. The inaugural convention, held in October of that year, assembled 61 participants and appointed Chief Engineer John S. Damrell of Boston as its first President. Initially named the National Association of Fire Engineers, the organization aimed to encourage the exchange of ideas and promote the adoption of innovative firefighting equipment. The name was updated to the International Association of Fire Engineers in 1884, following the inclusion of Canadian fire chiefs, and later became the International Association of Fire Chiefs in 1926. The following Massachusetts Chiefs have served as President of the IAFC:
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