A Hanover Firefighter has been named by the state as 2022 Fire & Life Safety Educator of the Year at the 27th annual Massachusetts Fire & Life Safety Education Conference on Thursday.
State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey named Firefighter-Paramedic Eric Johnson as this year’s honoree for his work running the Student Awareness of Fire Education (S.A.F.E.) and Senior SAFE programs.
In particular, Johnson was singled out for starting a home safety visit program that includes smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm installation for vulnerable Hanover residents, along with information on fire safety, home escape planning, burn awareness, fall prevention, and other tips.
Ostroskey says a kitchen fire broke out at a home in December of 2021, activating a nearby smoke alarm which was installed after a home visit by Johnson.
The resident heard the alarm and safely got out, calling 9-1-1, which enabled crews to respond and put out the fire.
Since its inception in 2019 the program has conducted more than 250 visits.
The Department of Fire Services says the “Fire & Life Safety Educator of the Year Award honors an individual or a team for their involvement and commitment to making our world safer from fire and other preventable injuries.”
Johnson was one of more than a dozen fire safety educators nominated for the award.
