Wayland Senior Captain Dan Buentello Retires After 30 Years
Photo by Courtesy of Wayland Massachusetts FIRE Department
Wayland, Mass. — August 22 — After more than thirty years in the fire service, Senior Captain Dan Buentello is retiring from the Wayland Fire Department. His career encompassed emergency response, public education, dive rescue, and service at the World Trade Center following the September 11, 2001, attacks.
Buentello started his career in firefighting with the Wayland Call Fire Department and was later appointed a full-time firefighter and EMT on January 11, 1994. He progressed through the ranks within the department, rising from private to lieutenant, then captain, and finally senior captain. The Wayland Fire Department verified the details in its retirement announcement, which local media also reported.
After the September 11 attacks, Buentello was sent to New York City, where he spent a week helping with the response at the World Trade Center and supporting those impacted by the tragedy. He also was a member of the department’s Critical Incident Stress Management Team.
Buentello’s career also involved specialized work in water rescue. He was passionate about diving and joined the District 14 Dive Rescue Team, where he contributed specialized expertise for water emergencies. Public education was another major part of his career. Buentello worked with the Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) Program, teaching children about fire safety, while also participating in fire-safety education for older residents through the Wayland Council on Aging.
The Town of Wayland's annual report confirms that Buentello was part of the department's fire-education team, which provided SAFE, Senior SAFE and other community fire-safety programs.
The Wayland Fire Department's mission includes fire, rescue and emergency medical services, as well as prevention and community involvement. Buentello's career included work in each of those areas, from emergency response and specialized rescue to public education.
His retirement comes after more than 30 years of full-time service, along with the years he spent as a call firefighter before joining the department full time.
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