News  Eric Mallet, Berkshire Superior Probation Officer and volunteer firefighter, helps put out “fires” in probationers’ lives and protects the town of Adams

Eric Mallet, a Berkshire County Superior Court Probation Officer (PO), is used to extinguishing fires—the figurative burning embers of a probationer’s life when their bad decisions or behavior lead to more court-involvement or jail— and real life flames as a volunteer firefighter in the town of Adams, nestled in the Berkshires.

Mr. Mallet, a recently appointed PO and former Associate Probation Officer in each of the Berkshire County courts, is a lieutenant and 12-year volunteer of the fire department. He began as a probationary firefighter and apprentice and advanced to an EMT/firefighter before earning his current rank as a lieutenant in 2020. PO Mallet recently spoke about the similarities of both roles and the excitement he feels when performing his PO job and volunteering in the community.

“I love being a PO. It’s something new everyday. It’s always a challenge. I never know what I am walking into. It is the same thing with the fire department,” he said. “There are situations in my job as a PO that I feel that I am helping to stamp out the “fires” or “brush fires” —criminal behavior and bad decision making—that threaten to engulf or negatively impact a person’s life.”

PO Mallet said putting out fires is a big part of his work and home life. His fiancé is also a volunteer firefighter in Adams. His family is full of first-responders and educators. His father was a teacher and deputy sheriff and his paternal and maternal grandfathers were both in the military.

There are 89 volunteer firefighter companies and 378 volunteer firefighters throughout Massachusetts, according to National Volunteer Fire Council. The history of volunteer firefighting has long roots that date back to 1736 when the first volunteer fire department, the Union Fire Company, was established by US founding father, scientist, inventor, and statesman Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia, according to FireHistory.com.

According to the Fire Council, Ben Franklin, at age 18, moved from Boston to Philadelphia. In 1711 at the age of six, he witnessed a fire that resulted in 110 families losing their homes. It was Philadelphia where he later modeled the first volunteer firefighters after the Mutual Fire Societies he witnessed in Massachusetts. When a fire struck the home of a Mutual Fire Society member, the other members of the club rushed to help battle the blaze which set the pattern for organized volunteer firefighting.

PO Mallet said he enjoys helping probationers get their lives back on track and giving back to the community in his free time by serving as a volunteer firefighter. As a volunteer, he is required to train three hours per week plus attend online classes as well as weekend classes on occasion. He does not have scheduled shifts.

"We are asked to respond whenever possible to the emergency when it comes in. Sometimes, we will go three to four days without a call and other times, we get four to five different calls each day," PO Mallet said.

Berkshire County Chief Probation Officer Sandra Perachi-Taylor said she supports his efforts and “is in awe” of his ability to juggle both roles which impacts so many lives—including the probationers he supervises and the residents of the town where he serves as a volunteer firefighter.