Students, instructors and firefighters from the Lowell Fire Department’s Ladder 4 stand together with one of two new signs students and instructors made for the West Sixth Street Fire Station. (Courtesy Greater Lowell Technical High School)
Superintendent Jill Davis is pleased to share that Greater Lowell Technical High School students from the Computer Aided Drafting and Design, Carpentry and Painting and Design programs combined their talents to create two new signs for the Lowell Fire Department’s West Sixth Street Fire Station.
Lowell Fire Lt. Shawn Sirois, who works out of the West Sixth Street Station where Engine 6 and Ladder 4 are stationed, reached out to the school to inquire about having students replace the signs for the station, which had rotted. Superintendent Davis thought it would be a great community project for the students to engage in and students and instructors in the CADD, Carpentry and Painting and Design programs jumped at the opportunity.
CADD students working under the direction of Instructor Michael Stack helped design the initial logo and sign.
Carpentry students, guided by Instructor Michael Murphy, then used a large CNC router to cut AZEK PVC material into two 2-foot by 8-foot signs that incorporated the design and department logo.
Painting and Design students, working under Instructor Michael Donahue, then finished and painted the signs, experimenting with different types of paint and primer that worked best on the weather-proof PVC material.
Students, instructors and firefighters from the Lowell Fire Department’s Engine 6 stand together with one of two new signs students and instructors made for the West Sixth Street Fire Station. (Courtesy Greater Lowell Technical High School)
The finished signs were presented by the students and instructors in the Painting and Design program on Friday, April 5, 2024, to Assistant Fire Chief David Keene and firefighters from the West Sixth Street Station. The firefighters brought over and shared pizza with the students and instructors and thanked them for their work. The students who contributed to the project signed the back of the two signs and with their instructors posed for photos with the firefighters.
Lt. Sirois said all the firefighters from the station were impressed by the high quality of the work. “What you guys did painting-wise was phenomenal,” Lt. Sirois said. “Hats off to you and hats off to everyone who did such a fantastic job.”
Yamixeliz Suarez-Aguiar, a student in the Painting and Design shop, said the project was challenging because it involved work students had never done before.
“We used new kinds of material and the fact that it was going out in public definitely added some pressure,” Suarez-Aguiar said. “But it also motivated us to really do our best at the same time.”
Painting and Design student Isabella Viera said the new types of work that students had to do taught them new ways of painting and doing things. “It was so drastically different from what we usually do — it taught us to adjust and adapt to different scenarios,” Viera said.
Painting and Design students Ashley Tineo and Jeaneudelis Torres said they enjoyed working on behalf of firefighters and knowing that the community will see their work.
Lowell Fire Department Lt. Shawn Sirois thanks students and instructors for two new signs they created for the West Sixth Street Fire Station in the Centralville neighborhood. (Courtesy Greater Lowell Technical High School)
“When you’re in the shop everything is in a bubble and your work kinda stays within the school, so it was really nice working on a project that meant a lot to other individuals,” said Painting and Design student Beatriz Borba Brasil.
“This project had such a positive impact on the students, fostering confidence in their abilities and pride in their workmanship. Having their efforts showcased in the community will undoubtedly be a source of pride for both the students and their families and friends. Being able to point to their contributions and say, ‘I was a part of that work,’ is truly a testament to their hard work and dedication,” said Superintendent Davis.
