Author: Charles Johnson

The Brookline Fire Department is preparing to put its two new fire engines into action.

All deputies, captains, lieutenants and firefighters in the department are required to undergo training on the new engines, which cost a total of $1.5 million..

Matt Wiers trains fire departments across Massachusetts for the manufacturer Pierce, which made Brookline’s new fire engines. During a training at Fire Station 6 in Brookline last Tuesday, Wiers explained how to use the engine’s pressure governor, which regulates the pressure of water through hoses, and showed the crew how to use the control buttons in the cabin to flip on the front and rear lights.

“There is always something you pick up,” Wiers said. “Remedial training is always good for any firefighter at any level in their career.”

Get the latest Brookline news free in your inbox.

All fields required. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Most people refer to all fire vehicles as fire trucks, but that’s inaccurate. A fire engine uses water from hydrants or its own supply to pump into hoses.

A ladder, the other type of fire vehicle, might hold a small reserve of water but mainly contributes an aerial platform that can be raised to high places to aim the hoses provided by the engines.

A fire engine’s life span is about 20 years, said Brookline Fire Chief John Sullivan. An engine usually operates on the front line for 15 years and then as a backup for another five. It’s eventually sold for parts or sent to the scrapyard.

The new engines, which will replace Engines 1 and 4, arrived at Fire Station 6 at the beginning of February.

“It’s always an exciting time for the company to get a new piece of equipment,” Sullivan said. “It is equally beneficial for the department and the community.”

The department traded in the old Engine 4, also built by Pierce, for $130,000.

The old Engine 1 will remain on the fleet as a backup under the new name Engine 8.

Justin Tuttle, who has worked at the department for 14 months but spent more than 20 years as a technician at the Worcester Fire Department, said it’s a rare opportunity to work on a new engine because most departments update engines once every 10 or 15 years.

“My Magic 8 Ball doesn’t work all the time,” Tuttle said. “Sooner or later they are all going to break down.”

The last time the Brookline Fire Department got a new engine was in 2019.

Sullivan said the spare engines are used roughly half of the time when the fire department receives multiple reports of fires or other emergencies. Also, if primary engines require maintenance, the spares substitute in.

The Brookline Fire Department’s policy calls for frontline engines to be replaced every 17 years. They rehabilitate each engine every 10 years to give it seven more years of life.

The new conveniences and advances in technology are always beneficial, but Sullivan said he wants the engines to last a long time.

“At the end of the day, they all basically do the same thing,” Sullivan said.

He enjoys having a “shiny red” fire engine but said he looks for a reasonable price and a good investment. He wants to mitigate future repair costs as much as possible.

The old engine’s front cabin was tilted up last Wednesday for repairs because the power steering box had been leaking fluid. Tuttle was waiting for a new box to arrive to replace the faulty one as Wiers wrapped up his second day of training on the new engines.

Sullivan said he expects the engines to be fully operational in the second week of March.

This story is part of a partnership between Brookline.News and the Boston University Department of Journalism.

This article was originally published on February 27, 2025.

Thomas Gibbons presses the button on the illuminated walk sign, then runs back and forth to help people cross. He raises his hand high to signal drivers.

As the children and their parents reach the other side, he calls out “Take care!” or “Have a nice day!”

The 69-year-old wakes up at 5:20 a.m. every weekday. He wants ample time to prepare for his first shift of the day and drive the 3 miles from his home in West Roxbury to his intersection in Brookline Village.

The Boston area is experiencing a shortage of crossing guards. According to the city of Boston’s website, 54 crossing guard positions are open in the city. This is not the case, however, in Brookline, where all 26 positions are filled and the hourly wage for crossing guards is 30% higher than in Boston. Crossing guards in Boston earn up to $22.47 an hour, while all crossing guards in Brookline earn $29.14 an hour.

Gibbons said he doesn’t do the job for the money, though. The position keeps him busy and gives him a mission each day.

“If you’re going to do it, you’ve got to be committed,” Gibbons said.

Gibbons starts his shift at 7:30 a.m. at the busy intersection of Boylston, Washington and High streets.

Sally Cohen said she knows her daughter will be safe walking to the William H. Lincoln School when Gibbons is at the crosswalk.

“He is a stickler for the rules, which I appreciate,” she said.

Every time a group of kids stands close to the edge of the sidewalk Gibbons watches intently.

He doesn’t try to learn their names and has two reasons for that.

“Number one is I’m bound to forget,” he said.

He also figures that if he calls some kids by their names, others will feel hurt.

Gibbons grew up in Brighton, studied law enforcement at Boston State College, which has since been absorbed into the UMass Boston, and moved to Houston after graduating.

He worked at Southwestern Bell, where he spent his time knocking on doors and in manholes installing telephone lines.

“I loved it,” he said. “It wasn’t even like going to work.”

During a stint as a telephone repair technician, he met his wife, Kathleen, who was working as a phone operator for the company.

The couple moved back to Boston. He found a job at the New England Phone Company.

They had two children. Their son, Patrick, is completing his annual training as a captain in the Army Reserves in Japan. The daughter, Kelly, works as a speech pathologist in the Walpole school system.

Gibbons has worked odd jobs since retiring in 2017. None of them stuck for long. He became a mail carrier for a week before quitting.

Four years ago, Kathleen was working in the office for the now-demolished Pierce School on Washington Street. She heard they needed a crossing guard outside the William H. Lincoln School on Walnut Street. Gibbons filled in – and fell in love with it.

“I am providing a service, and it’s rewarding,” he said. “It’s not like a job.”

He was stationed in front of the Lincoln school for a year and a half, then moved further down Walnut Street to the intersection with High Street. He moved another 100 feet down High Street to his current post this December.

Kids are more respectful of traffic etiquette than adults, he said. If a child tries to cross without the sign illuminated, Thomas educates them on how to be more safe. He does not do the same with adults.

“Jaywalkers don’t make it easy,” Thomas said. “I can’t tell adults how to cross the street.”

Drivers can also be reckless, of course.

“Everyone is trying to get somewhere,” he said. “They are desperate to get out of town or wherever people have to go.”

Gibbons said he once witnessed a negligent motorist drive on the High Street sidewalk to avoid backed-up traffic.

Kids often give him gifts. As much as he loves Dunkin’ gift cards, there are the “little notes” thanking him for helping them cross the road and the silly jokes he makes.

When his morning shift is over, he drives back home for a break. Gibbons eats lunch with his wife. If there’s time, he’ll work out at the YMCA.

He will be back 40 minutes early for his afternoon shift.

This story is part of a partnership between Brookline.News and the Boston University Department of Journalism.