GROVELAND – The Groveland Fire Department is pleased to announce that Chief Robert B. Lay was granted accreditation for the level of fire chief by the Massachusetts Fire Service Commission (FSC) on June 22.

Chief Lay is the first chief in the history of the Groveland Fire Department to earn this type of credentialing. He will receive a Fire Chief Credentialing certificate on Aug. 24 at the Fire Chief’s Association of Massachusetts’ annual meeting.

“I am honored to receive this level of recognition and remain dedicated to providing the highest level of service to the community,” Chief Lay said. “I recognize the importance of continuing my education in order to be the strongest leader that I can be for Groveland residents. I would like to thank the department for all of its support throughout this process.”

The FSC is a gubernatorial appointed board that has established a process for uniform credentialing for the level of fire chief based on education, training and experience in areas relevant to serving as fire chief. The program establishes benchmarks for training in fire and emergency service management so that chiefs may be better prepared to serve their department and community.

“The program was developed after extensive research outlining those skills important to today’s fire chief,” said State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey. “The process provides an equal opportunity for the volunteer, call or full-time fire service leader to meet the minimum criteria for achieving fire chief accreditation.”

Each applicant’s documentation is reviewed by a subcommittee of the Massachusetts Fire Service Commission to determine if the individual has attained a minimum level of credits for education, training and experience.

Application for accreditation is open to all fire service members in the Commonwealth serving as chief of a department, or any person holding the rank of captain or above. Participation in the program is voluntary and all eligible personnel are encouraged to partake. Credentialed participants are required to renew their credentials every three years.

The North Shore Navigators added another impressive win to their resume on Tuesday night when they took on the Torrington Titans. The Navigators were clicking on all cylinders in their 6-0 victory over the visiting Titans, and improved their record to 8-15 on the season.

The real story of the game was the pitching for the Navigators on the night. Starter Evan Glew (Northern Essex) gave a fantastic performance for the team, working through six innings on the night. Glew only allowed two hits on the night and added four strikeouts to his season total.

Following Glew’s performance, Brian Burke (Curry College) and Sean O’Neill (Brandeis University) combined to pitch three innings and continued to hold the Titans in check. Burke only allowed one hit while recording two strikeouts in just under two innings of work. O’Neill finished the game strong, shutting down the Titans in the ninth and closing out the game.

On offense, the Navigators had another productive outing. The team managed to score three runs in the fifth inning and that really set the momentum for the rest of the game. The big hit in that inning came off of the bat of Alex Brickman (Siena College). With two outs and runners on first and second, Brickman cracked a double off of the left field wall. Nick DiBenedetto (Trinity College) and Colby Maiola (UMass Lowell) both scored to make it 3-0 at the time.

Later in the game, Maiola would help give the Navigators some insurance runs. In the bottom of the eighth inning with DiBenedetto on first, Maiola hit a big two-run home run over the right field wall that made the score 6-0. That gave the Navs the cushion they needed to safely finish off the team in the next inning.

Navigators newcomer RJ Warnock (Ave Maria University) impressed on the day as well. Playing in his first game as a member of the team, Warnock went 2-4 hitting out of the ninth spot. He managed to pick up an RBI during the game as well.

The Navigators will return to Fraser Field on Saturday, July 2 for a matchup with the Brockton Rox. The game will be a special Salute to Service game, and there will be a fireworks display following the game. First pitch for the game is scheduled to take place at 6:00 p.m.