After Firefighter Deaths, Worcester FD Looks At Internal Review

WORCESTER, MA — Following two recent firefighter deaths — and seven others since 1999 — the Worcester Fire Department is looking to hire an outside consultant to do an internal review of "administration, operations, training and deployment practices."

Worcester Fire Chief Michael Lavoie has asked the City Council to approve the move, which will be reviewed at the Feb. 4 meeting. The request comes after Lavoie pledged to do an internal review after the death of Lt. Jason Menard in November.

"The consultant will conduct an exhaustive examination of every aspect of our department’s administration, operations, training and deployment. This analysis should be a data driven study of our department that compares our department to national standards and best practices," Lavoie's memo reads.

The consultant's report could help the department make changes to fight fires more effectively and safely, the memo says. Lavoie is also asking to conduct a review of the Division of Inspectional Services, the department that handles health, safety, and building inspections.

In a memo, Lavoie highlights that Worcester's large stock of wood-frame housing has always been a risk — but now the homes are full of modern materials like plastic that fuel fires that "burn far hotter and faster than the fires of decades past."