The Fact Maker

Massachusetts Maritime Academy Cadets Assist Bourne and Wareham Fire Departments Battle Three House Fires Over 24-Hour Period

Buzzards Bay, Bourne, Wareham, MA:Cadets participating in the Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA; www.maritime.edu) Cadet Fire Program in partnership with the Onset Fire District assisted in extinguishing three recent house fires in Buzzards Bay and Wareham – all within a 24-hour period when temperatures dipped to record lows.

Three MMA cadets were on scene at a February 4th fire on Bakers Lane in Bourne that required the assistance of the Onset Fire District.  Later that day, the Wareham Fire Department, assisted by several MMA cadets, responded to a house fire on Knowles Avenue and in the early hours of February 5th the cadets were back on response duty, working alongside members of the Wareham Fire Department to extinguish a structure fire.

In addition to the house fires, cadets responded to multiple medical runs, fire alarm activations, and water leaks over the same 24-hour time span when temperatures plummeted to below zero, according to James MacDermott, MMA Emergency Management Operations Officer, noting that cadets within the program are trained to respond to emergencies including motor vehicle accidents, fires, medicals, gas leaks, and other unique situations.

“The cadets enrolled in the Fire Program are dedicated to performing vital and often life-saving measures, working shifts whether school is in session or not,” said Rear Admiral Francis X. McDonald, USMS, president of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. “Their contribution to the safety and well-being of local residents has and continues to be of great significance. The entire MMA community is proud of these committed cadets and of the program that makes their role in public safety possible.”