By Pat Gecoya
A meet and greet was held at Lynn Auditorium with new Fire Chief Daniel Sullivan. This was an opportunity for Lynn residents to interact with him in regards to public safety. Chief Sullivan wanted shared his vision and leadership role in the fire department and within the city.
Fire Chief Sullivan has a passion for the fire service to help people. When he entered the fire department in 1996, his main focus was to become a good firefighter. Dan began taking Fire Science courses, working attentively with his fellow firefighters, improving his training skills, and providing exceptional service to the public.
He enrolled in the Fire Fighters Academy learning topics that included governmental policies, finance, leadership, emotional intelligence, and data collection This prepared Dan for further academic advancements into the National Firefighter Academy four-year program.
“When I was interviewed for the Chief’s position, I discussed how to help others. One of my main research topics concerned Mental Health, “said Chief Sullivan. He continued to explain, “Mental Health is becoming more accepted in the public safety world. If we do not keep our people safe and healthy, they can’t provide a good job. It will also pay the price with the family.”
Fire Chief Sullivan has three goals for the fire department. Firefighter safety is his initial goal with better training, peer mentorship, and better equipment. His second initiative is to have better data collection with an updated software program. Deputy Chief Michael McBride is working to improve the system. This will help the city to make better decisions with the department. His other goal involves a better partnership with the community. “I would like to say something about former Chief Stephan Archer. He started to get the fire department back into the community, and it is one of my top goals to continue this process,” said Chief Sullivan.