Professional Fire Fighters of Lowell MA Local 853

04/27/2026

On Saturday, members of the Lowell Fire Department and retirees, along with their friends and families came together to celebrate another extraordinary year of serving the City of Lowell at the 101st Firefighter's Ball.

There is truly never a dull moment in Lowell, and 2025 was yet another incredibly eventful year. Our members were tested day and night, as companies responded to a relentless volume of emergencies, providing an essential safety net for the residents of this City. That said, Chief Charron proudly recognized several firefighters for going above and beyond the call of duty during a few of the most demanding and complex incidents we faced in 2025: the Central Street, Appleton Street, and Concord Street fires, as well as a critical water rescue in one of Lowell's several canals.

Local 853 would like to congratulate the following members who were recognized by the Chief:

Central Street Fire (February 24, 2025)

Firefighter of the Year: Lt. Michael Dexter, FF Oscar Jimenez, FF Stevie DaSilva, and FF Corey Nadeau

Appleton Street Fire (April 4, 2025)

Award of Valor: Lt. Ryan Carroll, Lt. Ben Ratty, FF Phil Valiant, and FF Jack Wallace

Company Citation: Lt. Kevin Casey, FF Anthony Cronk, and FF Rob Maldonado

Concord Street Fire (April 13, 2025)

Award of Valor: Lt. Mary Stelmokas, FF Matt Bahou, and FF Matt Roy

Company Citation: Lt. Ryan Carroll and FF Jay Dolan

Pawtucket Canal Rescue (June 24, 2025)

Award of Valor: Lt. Patrick McCabe and FF Jake Maniscalco

Company Citation: Capt. Mike Ryan, Lt. Patrick McCabe, Lt. Hector Torres, Lt. Billy Gendron, FF Jake Maniscalco, FF Rob Maldonado, FF Mike O’Donnell, FF Ryan King, FF Nick Faustino, FF Sean Murphy, FF Paul McNeil, and FF Jeremy Coupal

A special thank you to Lt. Patrick McCabe and his wife Meg, FF Glennis Maldonado, and FF Luis Diaz for putting on another great Firefighter's Ball! We appreciate the hard work you put into these events, and we are all looking forward to the 102nd!

LOWELL — One hundred and one years after Lowell firefighters first gathered to celebrate their own, the tradition remains as strong as ever.

04/22/2026

Great training for Group 1 members yesterday!

04/17/2026

Strong work, Ladder 1!

04/14/2026

Crews from Engine 10, Engine 11, Ladder 3, and Rescue 1 conducted wildland fire training today alongside the Department of Conservation & Recreation Forestry Bureau in the Lowell, Dracut, and Tyngsboro State Forest. Training focused on fast-moving, wind-driven fires in grass and brush, ensuring our firefighters remain prepared to respond safely and effectively to wildland incidents in our community. Group 2 on duty.

04/12/2026

LFD has had a busy week—strong work!

LOWELL — A fire tore through a hydroelectric power station at the northern tip of the Wamesit Canal on Sunday afternoon, collapsing the building’s interior and causing damage believed to be beyond repair.

04/10/2026

The Annual Coat Drive for Ann’s Coats is wrapping up soon. The Lowell Firefighters Club and Cobblestones have been collecting donations, and the community turnout has been absolutely awesome.

If you haven't made it out yet, there is still time. Come stop by, drop off a coat, and support a great cause!

04/09/2026

Group 1 was out taking advantage of the beautiful weather this morning! Crews from Engine 3, Ladder 3, and the Rescue conducted a highly technical high-angle rescue drill in the Hamilton Canal District.

This specialized training involved deploying a rescue boat into the canal and utilizing a stokes basket system to safely extract a victim from a challenging location.

By continuously running these complex, multi-layered scenarios, our members ensure they are always ready to respond with precision when an emergency strikes.

Great job, Civic Center!

04/04/2026

Local 853 would like to congratulate the following members who are celebrating anniversaries with the Lowell Fire Department in the month ofApril:

Capt. Jason Strunk 29 years
FF Josue Rodriguez 28 years
DC Timothy Casey 28 years
Capt. Herman Sousa 28 years
Capt. Kevin McCauley 25 years
FF Roberto Maldonado 25 years
FF Bennie Cooper 25 years
FF Justin Ly 25 years
FF William Harland 22 years
FF Michael McGuire 22 years
FF David McNeil 22 years
FF Michael Grimes 22 years
FF James Dolan 7 years
FF Gerardo Martinez 7 years
Lt Ian Demers 7 years
FF Stephen Felde 7 years
FF Brian Patterson 3 years

Thank you all for your dedication and years of service to the City of Lowell, MA - Government

03/31/2026

Some of our members were joined by other surrounding fire departments to celebrate Teresa as she celebrated her 99th birthday! Her one wish was to be surrounded by a bunch of hunky firemen and they sure did deliver!

Happy birthday Teresa, we wish you many more!

Chelmsford Firefighters IAFF Local 1839
Lawrence Firefighters Union - Local 146
Westford Fire Department
Dracut Firefighters, IAFF Local 2586

A 99-year-old woman from Lowell had quite the request for her 99th birthday.

03/30/2026

At approximately 315am, Engine 3 and Ladder 3 responded to Dracut for mutual aid for their second alarm structure fire. Great work by all crews involved.

Dracut Firefighters, IAFF Local 2586

03/28/2026

Strong work, Group 1!