Fire Marshal Names New Fire Safety Division Director

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STOW, Mass. — State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey welcomed Brian J. Ingram as director of the Fire Safety Division of the Department of Fire Services.
 
Ingram has more than 30 years of fire and life safety experience, including 15 years in managing fire safety at institutions of higher learning and more than 20 years as a firefighter.
 
"The Fire Safety Division intersects with the fire service, the public, and regulated industries on a daily basis to protect the Commonwealth's communities," said State Fire Marshal Ostroskey. "Brian's extensive background in fire safety, prevention, and protection make him uniquely suited to lead the Division, and it's a great pleasure to welcome him to our team."
 
The Fire Safety Division is one of four divisions within the Department of Fire Services. Its staff conduct and coordinate code compliance and enforcement, fire data collection and reporting, public education, licensing and certification, and other vital functions.
 
"Every individual, family, and community benefits from statewide fire safety resources," Ingram said. "I'm excited to join the dedicated staff who deliver those resources every day, and I look forward to building on the tradition of excellence that the Fire Safety Division is known for."
 
Ingram comes to the Department of Fire Services from Bentley University, where he served as fire safety officer before being named manager of fire and life safety operations. In this role, he was responsible for campus-wide fire and life safety planning, management, supervision, compliance oversight, and system operability, as well as managing the school's fire response and prevention in partnership with the Waltham Fire Department. Prior to that, he was the fire safety officer and fire marshal for Becker College, where he created and administered the first fire safety program in the college's history.
 
Ingram has also served as a firefighter and fire educator in Berlin and West Boylston, and in Farmington, Conn. where he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and named Firefighter of the Year in 1995. He is a graduate of Becker College, a credentialed fire prevention officer, and a certified fire investigator. He is a resident of Marlborough.

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Colombian Artist Celebrates Immigrant Stories in New Pittsfield Mural

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

Artist Laura Barrios explains the  inspiration of the mural, of immigrants building new lives in the Berkshires.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The walls along the Intermodal Center's train platform are a little more colorful following the unveiling of Let It Shine's third mural at that location, transforming a space once surrounded by bare concrete into a vibrant display of public art.
 
The unveiling on Thursday, marks the close of Let It Shine's 2026 outdoor public art season and the third year of its emerging artist program, said Mill Town Foundation Program Director Andy Wrba. 
 
Let It Shine's Emerging Artists Mentorship program was established in 2024 to support aspiring artists in the community by providing guidance, hands-on experiences, and opportunities to create large-scale public art.
 
"This mural, along with all the murals, as part of this emerging artist program, and even more broadly, all the murals that you see downtown throughout Pittsfield shows that we care about the cultural scene and we care about the creative people that live and work in our city," Wrba said.
 
The new mural, painted by Colombian artist Laura Barrios, celebrates immigrants who have built lives and found a sense of home in Berkshire County.
 
Barrios has been working on the piece for the last two months alongside mentor artist, Jesse Tobin McCauley. 
 
"It's a homage to the immigrants who work and make a home in the Berkshires … this is a very personal experience too because I am an immigrant," Barrios said in her speech.
 
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