Latest news with #Deschenes
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Active-duty Mass. firefighter dies unexpectedly, funeral arrangements announced
Funeral arrangements have been announced for an active-duty North Andover firefighter who died unexpectedly last week. Jeffrey Deschenes, 54, died at a local hospital after experiencing a medical emergency at home, North Andover town officials announced in a Friday press release. He leaves behind a wife and two children. 'Firefighter Deschenes was an extraordinarily dedicated and knowledgeable firefighter and emergency medical services expert,' the release reads. Deschenes began his fire services career with the Lawrence Fire Department in 2000, serving 12 years there before transferring to North Andover in 2012, town officials said. He was assigned as the town's first EMS coordinator in 2019. 'He brought the department into the forefront of pre-hospital care,' the release reads. While serving as the EMS Coordinator, Deschenes instituted a community CPR program, a car seat installation program and a community EMS program, town officials said. He introduced new equipment, protocols and technology into the department, 'creating a highly respected service in the region.' 'Jeff Deschenes brought the North Andover Fire Department into the modern era of emergency medicine and treatment, and his life's work undoubtedly saved and improved the lives of countless people,' North Andover Fire Chief John Weir said in the release. 'He was a quiet hero in our community and a true brother in the fire service.' Deschenes was a decorated firefighter, having been named a Firefighter of the Year by state officials in 2019 for his response to the deadly 2018 Merrimack Valley natural gas disaster. He also received the American Red Cross Lifesaving Award, among other awards. 'Jeff's impact reached far beyond his firefighting duties, touching the lives of many in the Merrimack Valley and the region,' Deputy Fire Chief Graham Rowe said in the release. 'He was always willing to lend a helping hand in any way possible, looking out for his fellow firefighters, friends, family and the community.' Deschenes' wake has been scheduled for Friday, June 6, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Kenneth H. Pollard Funeral Home in Methuen, town officials announced Monday. There will be a firefighter dress uniform walkthrough prior to the wake at 8:45 a.m. Firefighters will reassemble outside the funeral home at 11:30 a.m. for an honorable procession to Elmwood Cemetery in Methuen where Deschenes' funeral service is set to follow at 1 p.m., officials said. Westover Job Corps students rally to decry opportunities lost New Jersey is removing Tesla chargers from its turnpike. What about Mass.? This is what it's like on Martha's Vineyard after ICE raids Worcester activist critical of city manager faces one-year city hall ban N.H. man convicted of violently raping three Boston women gets decades in prison Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
‘A quiet hero': Mass. department mourning unexpected death of active-duty firefighter
A fire department in the Bay State's Merrimack Valley is mourning the unexpected death of an active-duty firefighter. Firefighter Jeffrey Deschenes died this week at a local hospital after experiencing a medical emergency, North Andover Fire Chief John Weir and Deputy Chief Graham Rowe announced Friday. He was 54. Deschenes was named North Andover's first EMS Coordinator in 2019 and is credited with bringing the fire department to the forefront of pre-hospital care. 'Jeff Deschenes brought the North Andover Fire Department into the modern era of emergency medicine and treatment, and his life's work undoubtedly saved and improved the lives of countless people,' Chief Weir said in a statement. 'He was a quiet hero in our community and a true brother in the fire service. He will be missed. I speak on behalf of all the men and women of the North Andover Fire Department in extending my heartfelt sympathies to Jeff's wife, children, and his entire family. We mourn this loss with you.' Deschenes was also named a Firefighter of the Year by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 2019 for his response to the 2018 Merrimack Valley natural gas disaster, in addition to earning an array of other accolades. 'Jeff's impact reached far beyond his firefighting duties, touching the lives of many in the Merrimack Valley and the region,' Deputy Chief Rowe said in a statement. 'He was always willing to lend a helping hand in any way possible, looking out for his fellow firefighters, friends, family, and the community.' Deschenes began his career with the Lawrence Fire Department in 2000 and served 12 years there before transferring to North Andover in 2012. Town Manager Melissa Rodrigues added, 'The Town of North Andover mourns the loss of a good and dedicated firefighter, friend, and a true professional. Our community offers its unwavering support to his family at home and his family in the firehouse during their time of need.' Deschenes is survived by his wife and two children. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Axios
06-03-2025
- Business
- Axios
AI-powered baseball training comes to Indy
Young baseball prospects in Indianapolis will soon have their mental performance tracked, measured and trained by artificial intelligence. The big picture: Boston-based tech company Pison is betting on its AI-driven neural sensors to revolutionize youth baseball training, quantifying the impact that stress, head injuries and other hurdles can have on reaction times down to the millisecond. The latest: Pison announced Tuesday a revenue-sharing partnership with Prep Baseball, the nation's largest scouting service for amateur baseball. Pison's wearables will roll out early next month in Prep Baseball venues in Indiana and Kansas City, where more than 175,000 young baseball players practice. Pison has measured cognitive performance in military members and ALS patients before branching out into sports. The company rolled out Baseball Pro earlier this year after partnering with Timex on making the device. In Indianapolis, expect to see the tech put into practice during tournaments, workout showcases and other scouting events. How it works: Baseball Pro is a platform in a wrist-worn wearable that analyzes the electrical signals running through a player's brain and nervous system to their muscles. It can measure the impact that mental health, wellness and other cognitive factors have on baseball players, including their reaction time while batting or pitching. What they're saying:"If you're cognitively declined, and you've got all the physical attributes in the world, you're not going to overcome that cognitive decline," says Marc Deschenes, a former pro baseball player and vice president of sports operations at Pison. But a player who is mentally prepared with fewer physical strengths can perform better than expected on a given day, Deschenes tells Axios. Zoom in: Pison and Prep Baseball will track each player's cognitive performance as part of their overall stats. The player owns the data, and it will be up to the player to decide whether to release that information to a scout or college recruiter, says Pison CEO John Croteau. Flashback: Pison started testing its cognitive performance technology for baseball in 2024 with five colleges: Penn State University, West Virginia University, Auburn University in Alabama, Oklahoma State University and Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma. The intrigue: Pison's supercharged scouting tech arrives in Central Indiana as the digital sports training market explodes, thanks to an AI-powered push. A Technavio report released in October 2024 predicts the market to grow by $1.24 billion from 2024 to 2028. What's next: By 2026, Baseball Pro will roll out across all other Prep Baseball venues, which serve thousands more players. A baseball coach at Lansing Community College in Michigan, another college working with Pison, plans to use players' metrics from Baseball Pro to make daily lineup decisions.
Axios
04-03-2025
- Sport
- Axios
Exclusive: Boston tech firm rolls out AI-driven performance tracking with Prep Baseball
Pison, a Boston-based tech company, is using AI to help supercharge performance tracking in youth baseball. The big picture: Pison is betting on its AI-driven neural sensors to revolutionize youth baseball training, quantifying the impact that stress, head injuries and other hurdles can have on reaction times down to the millisecond. The latest: Pison announced Tuesday a revenue-sharing partnership with Prep Baseball, the nation's largest scouting service for amateur baseball. Pison's wearables will roll out next month in Prep Baseball's two venues in Indiana and Kansas City, where more than 175,000 young baseball players practice. Pison has measured cognitive performance in military members and ALS patients before branching out into sports. Pison rolled out Baseball Pro earlier this year after partnering with Timex on making the device. How it works: Baseball Pro is a platform in a wrist-worn wearable that analyzes the electrical signals running through a player's brain and nervous system to their muscles. It can measure the impact that mental health, wellness and other cognitive factors have on baseball players, including their reaction time while batting or pitching. What they're saying:"If you're cognitively declined, and you've got all the physical attributes in the world, you're not going to overcome that cognitive decline," says Marc Deschenes, a former pro baseball player and vice president of sports operations at Pison. But a player who is mentally prepared with fewer physical strengths can perform better than expected on a given day, Deschenes tells Axios. Zoom in: Pison and Prep Baseball will track each player's cognitive performance as part of their overall stats. The player owns the data, and it will be up to the player to decide whether to release that information to a scout or college recruiter, says Pison CEO John Croteau. Flashback: Pison started testing its cognitive performance technology for baseball in 2024 with five colleges: Penn State University, West Virginia University, Auburn University in Alabama, Oklahoma State University and Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma. What's next: By 2026, Baseball Pro will roll out across all other Prep Baseball venues, which serve thousands more players. A baseball coach at Lansing Community College, another college working with Pison, plans to use players' metrics from Baseball Pro to make daily lineup decisions.
