As a child, Sean Donahue was quite familiar with the world of firefighting. His grandfather was the assistant fire chief with the Cannon Fire Department for many years until he passed away from cancer in 2001. His example lives on, though, in Donahue’s service here in Lowell.
“I became a firefighter to follow in my grandpa’s shoes,” Donahue says.
That’s something he’s done well as he’s risen in the ranks during his 14-year tenure with the Lowell Area Fire Department. He started as a cadet in high school and then became a paid on-call firefighter in 2008. He was most recently promoted to captain last year.
During his time with the department, Donahue has overseen its public education program and helped organize open houses and other community events. “He has been a key part in the growth of our programs,” according to a press release issued last year after his promotion.
Since firefighters don’t sleep at the station, that means men and women need to be on call outside the hours of 8am-4pm and ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. That can sometimes make it challenging to balance home life with work at the department. Still, Donahue says it’s worth it.
“I love being a part of the community and the family atmosphere we have at the department are just a few reasons I enjoy LAFD,” he explains. What’s more, he appreciates having the opportunity to service the public. “We as a department love working with the community and enjoy our job.”
While Donahue’s grandfather is no longer here, we imagine he would undoubtedly be proud of his grandson as he follows in his footsteps.
Leave a Reply