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Council orders Holyoke fire chief to submit plan to support firefighters completing EMT certification
Summary
Councillor Meg McGrath Smith asked the fire chief to provide a written plan for regular check-ins and other supports to help firefighters complete EMT certification before the two-year employment deadline; the chief agreed and the committee marked the order 'complied with.'
The Holyoke City Council Public Safety Committee on Nov. 13, 2025, asked the Fire Chief to produce a written plan describing how the department will support firefighters working toward required EMT certification, particularly those nearing the two-year deadline who have struggled on written exams.
Councilor Meg McGrath Smith, who filed the order, told the committee she and Councilor Rivera reviewed fire commission minutes showing multiple firefighters who could not meet the certification timeline and "ended up having to resign, from the department." McGrath Smith said she and Rivera were seeking a formal mechanism for tracking progress so employees feel permission to ask for help: "We were looking for a way for the department to say... there's someone who is actually tasked to check-in with folks and say, what progress are you making?" she said.
The Fire Chief described the department's historical requirement (since 1997) that firefighters obtain EMT certification within two years and said the department already has training officers, paramedics and study resources. He acknowledged the core problem is that struggling recruits often do not ask for help early enough and described operational and administrative fixes: monthly probation-period check-ins, quarterly or monthly progress tracking for those still completing certification, and closer communication with the fire commission. He told the committee, "We could definitely do something like that, counselor." The chief also described the personnel consequence when someone fails to meet the two-year requirement: "They either have to resign or it's termination," but said resigning is usually advised because the department will rehire candidates who later complete EMT certification.
Action and follow-up: The committee marked the order "complied with" and requested the chief submit the plan in writing as a communication line item. Councilors framed the fix as administrative (regular check-ins and formal progress reports) rather than an immediate policy change to hiring standards.
What to watch for: the written plan should specify who performs check-ins, their frequency (monthly/quarterly), any documentation required and how the department will escalate supports for people who repeatedly fail exams. The committee requested written follow-up from the Fire Chief.
