BCC to Hold Talk on State Fire Marshall History

11:32AM / Monday, May 05, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass — Berkshire Community College (BCC)'s Fire Science Program welcomes guest speaker Joshua Stanley to present "The History of the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal's Office: Transforming Tragedy into Progress" on Tuesday, May 6 at 6 p.m.

Local firefighters, BCC students and the public are invited to attend.

The free talk will be held in Melville Hall, Room 317, located on BCC's main campus at 1350 West Street, Pittsfield. It will also be available online. To register for the Zoom session, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/fire-history.

Shanley's presentation demonstrates how historic fires, explosions and building collapses in Massachusetts shaped the creation and evolution of the State Fire Marshal's Office. Case studies and lessons learned show how tragedy led to changes in fire prevention, investigation and public safety across the Commonwealth.

"The history of firefighting in Massachusetts is a colorful one. So much progress has been made, especially in the areas of firefighting technology and training. Josh Shanley shines a light on this fascinating topic, and we are so pleased to be able to host this talk," said Daniel Garner, BCC Adjunct Faculty – Fire Science.

Shanley is a media specialist with the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, Department of Fire Services. He is an experienced emergency management professional, author and educator with over 30 years of experience in public safety, including roles as a firefighter-paramedic, emergency management director and consultant. He was a firefighter/paramedic in Northampton and Amherst for a combined 25 years, currently serving on the Exercise Support Unit for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

As the author of several historical works, including "Cold War Massachusetts," "Northampton Fires and Firefighting" and "The Connecticut River Valley Flood of 1936," Shanley explores the legacy of civil defense, disaster response and emergency planning. With advanced degrees in emergency management, education and business, Shanley has a unique perspective that blends historical insight with practical experience in modern emergency management and resilience planning.

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Pittsfield ConCom OKs Stairs at Pontoosuc Lake

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:59AM / Friday, August 07, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Shoreline access stairs are coming to the south side of Pontoosuc Lake.

Last week, the Conservation Commission approved an amendment to the Order of Conditions for work at Pontoosuc Lake Park. There will be two stair sets on the south shoreline, and additional bank stabilization.

In 2025, the park's south side saw new stairs from the parking lot, a boardwalk, and other improvements. Later phases of the project will enhance the north side of the park for swimming, and remedy a concrete barrier wall that is partially underwater.

"Generally, what we're looking to do at Pontoosuc Lake Park is install some stair sets in two locations to help folks access from up above the bank, over the bank, and into the water," Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath explained during the July 23 meeting.

"We're sensitive to some of the issues that are currently existing on the bank, and we're also sensitive to some of the needs for lake recreation out there."

Stairs for water access will be placed on the shoreline at the beginning of the boardwalk, where it is highly eroded, and the second staircase will be at the extreme western end of the project area, which has around 100 feet of highly eroded bank.

Additional brush layering will also stabilize the bank.

An area near the boat ramp where live stakes were vandalized will see them replanted after the ConCom found some of the bank erosion was worse than believed on a site visit last year.

The city originally proposed not replanting the area where live stakes were removed.

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