NORTH ATTLEBORO — Selectmen have appointed eight men to the fire department on the recommendation of Chief Michael Brousseau.
Several of the new firefighters are veterans of the military, and a few have experience as an EMT and are taking classes to become paramedics, Brousseau said.
The appointments are contingent on the men passing physicals and come at a time of significant personnel changes in the department.
Several officers and firefighters have retired or left and promotions from within to replace departed officers have created more openings.
- Nicholas Coasta, a five-year veteran of the Providence Fire Department with an associate’s degree in fire science.
- Armani Flores, an Army veteran with an associate’s degree in business who is enrolled in paramedic school.
- Eric Gledhill, who spent two years on the Gardner Fire Department and is an Air Force veteran with an associate’s degree.
- Matthew Schafer, a Marine for five years and a certified personal trainer with an associate’s degree.
- Patrick Nolan, a native of North Attleboro, an Army medic for seven years and an EMT for two.
- Ryan Branco, a four-year Army veteran who has an associate’s degree.
- John Shea, an EMT in Cambridge with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering. He comes from a family of firefighters.
- Matthew Etheir, who spent seven years as a Navy corpsman and still serves in the reserves. He is taking paramedic courses.
Jim Hand may be reached at 508-236-0399 or [email protected]. You can follow him on Twitter at @TSCpolitics.
