Needham Firefighters - Local 1706

Join the Needham Fire Department and Needham Police Department for our annual Police & Fire Open House on Saturday, October 17 from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

This free, family-friendly event is a chance to get inside the fire station, meet the firefighters and paramedics who serve our community, explore our trucks and equipment, and learn more about fire safety, emergency preparedness, 911, and the many ways we work to keep Needham safe.

There will be plenty to see and do for the whole family, including fire apparatus, hands-on activities, community partners, food, and opportunities to meet the people behind the uniforms.

Whether your child dreams of becoming a firefighter, your family has questions about fire safety, or you simply want to see what goes on inside your local fire station, we would love to have you join us.

Saturday, October 17
11:00 AM–2:00 PM
Free admission

Bring the family and come spend the afternoon with your Needham first responders.

We can’t wait to see you there!!!

A little preparation can make a big difference. Check out the Town of Needham’s storm preparedness information to help you and your family stay safe before, during, and after severe weather.

A group of Needham 8th graders are in front of the 9/11 memorial at 88 Chestnut St raising money for project 351. Project 351 is a youth-powered social change movement and incubator for the Commonwealth’s next generation of civic leaders! Please come out and support ❤️🤍💙

https://project351.org/

The third Friday in September is National POW/MIA Recognition Day. Today we remember and honor our service members who were prisoners of war and those who are still missing in action -- and we recognize the families who lost loved ones and still keep an empty seat at the table.

FF/Paramedics Chad McMahon and Alexa Tierney, Needham Fire’s Community Risk Reduction Team (formerly the Student Awareness of Fire Education team), attended the Massachusetts Fire & Life Safety Educator Conference to learn, share, and continue strengthening our education curriculum.

FF Tierney was also excited to be selected as a presenter at the conference, leading “Every Student, Every Drill: Creating Inclusive Classrooms for Fire Safety Education” focused on making fire and life safety education accessible and inclusive for every student. This has become a passion project for Alexa, advocating for greater accessibility in fire education and ensuring every student is able to access safety material.

Chad and Alexa are grateful to the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services for creating opportunities for learn from one another and bring new ideas back to their communities.

Needham Firefighters IAFF Local 1706 is proud to launch our 2026 breast cancer awareness apparel fundraiser benefiting Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Short-sleeve shirts, long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies are available in youth, men’s, and women’s options. Choose from navy, pink, and gray.

Every order is placed securely online and shipped directly to the purchaser. Net proceeds will support Dana-Farber’s work in cancer research, treatment, and compassionate patient care.

Order here:
https://www.bonfire.com/needham-firefighters-fight-cancer-2026/

The store will remain open through November 1, 2026.

Please help us make a difference by purchasing apparel and sharing this campaign with your family, friends, and community.

Thank you for supporting Needham Firefighters IAFF Local 1706 and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute!

Yesterday, the Needham community gathered at the Public Safety Building for our annual September 11 remembrance ceremony, held jointly by the Needham Fire and Needham Police

Fire Chief Thomas Conroy opened the ceremony with the ringing of the bell, a tradition in the fire service marking the death of a firefighter in the line of duty. Following a moment of silence and the raising of the flag, Fire Chaplain Phil McGaw offered a prayer for healing, protection and peace.

We were honored to hear from Becca Rausch and Josh Tarsky , as well as Select Board Chair Heidi Frail. Their words reflected not only on the events of September 11, but on the responsibility we have to remember and to continue serving one another.

The ceremony concluded with Taps and a second ringing of the bells signifying that the incident is over and our first responders can return home.

Members of the Needham Fire Department traveled to New York City to honor those who sacrificed their lives for service on 9/11 in the 25th Firefighters Memorial Services alongside firefighters from across the country.

“Needham Fire Inspector Jay Steeves was one of 12 Needham firefighters deployed to Ground Zero in Sept. 2001. Before leaving home, he wrote a letter to each of his three children — just in case.

“Every day you go in, you know something could happen,” Steeves said. “And when you’re doing it, you’re not thinking about it, you’re reacting to it. I think that’s what we were doing that day: reacting. More as Americans than we were as firefighters, just going to see if we could help in any way, shape or form.”

Assistant Fire Chief Donald Anastasi was deployed to NYC alongside Steeves. “We stayed for a good 30 hours or so, and I think we quickly realized there wasn’t a lot we could do,” he said.

“The communications, everything was down. New York was trying to regroup, and they had all these people coming in.”

Steeves remembers the “total devastation” in New York City, saying, “It was like a war zone, I mean everything was just rubble everywhere.” He pocketed a piece of rubble at the request of his son, who later shared the rubble with a Needham family who had lost their father that day.

[…]

“That thousands of people got killed like that is just kind of difficult to absorb,” said Anastasi. “[I’m] still kind of absorbing it, I feel.””

From Kay Matipa of the Needham Observer , 2026, article linked in bio