Two young boys were rescued after their inflatable raft drifted offshore near the big bridge on Beach Road Monday, prompting a flurry of response from public safety officials.
Appointed acting chief 10 months ago, John Rose now has a permanent place as head of the town fire department. The vote by the five town selectmen was unanimous on Tuesday night, amid praise for Mr. Rose.
They drive the engines, rescue people, put out fires and know CPR. They have to be prepared for anything — a car under water, a person in cardiac arrest, or a family trapped inside a burning building. Or it could be a false alarm. Meet the Island's call firefighters.
Confirming the first promotions under a restructured force, the Oak Bluffs selectmen this week appointed two men to the upper ranks of the fire department.
Shawn Broadley was named deputy fire chief, and Manuel (Manny) Rose was appointed assistant fire chief.
After more than a year of discussion, Oak Bluffs is poised to modernize its fire department by creating a new command structure.
A caravan-style car drove off the end of the Steamship Authority dock and was trapped underwater with four passengers inside.
This was the premise of a training scenario staged Sunday morning for the Oak Bluffs dive and rescue team.
“An elderly person had a medical event and they gunned it down the terminal,” said Oak Bluffs fire department acting chief John Rose, who conducted the dive team’s first car rescue drill.
The Oak Bluffs selectmen Tuesday unanimously approved increased annual stipends for the fire department.
When requesting the increase, acting fire chief John Rose said the new stipends are more comparable to the pay scale in other towns.
