The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 225 emergency incidents during the month of April including 35 box alarms and 190 still alarms.
The Department responded to five mutual aid requests during April, once each to Melrose, North Reading and Saugus and twice to Stoneham. It received mutual aid twice during April, once each from Reading and Stoneham. Wakefield sent several firefighters and the fire boat to Saugus on April 9 to assist that department in battling a brush fire. Wakefield Engine 2 covered Stoneham Fire Headquarters during a working fire in that community on April 13. A crew under the command of Acting Lt. Christopher Crogan assisted the North Reading Fire Department at a 2-alarm fire at 41 Linwood Street during the afternoon of April 16. Another crew from Engine 2 covered the Stoneham Fire Department during a large brush fire in that community during the evening of April 17.
Firefighters under the command of Captain Paul Pronco and Lt. Thomas Purcell responded to a fire at 26 Daniel Road during the afternoon of April 29. The fire was ignited when winds fanned some hot discarded fireplace ashes in the rear yard into flames. The fire spread via vegetation to a nearby wooden fence and eventually to an outside storage area. Firefighters arrived just as the flames were starting to crack some windows on the main residence and quickly extinguished the fire. No one was displaced as a result of this fire and there were no injuries. A thirteen year old boy living next door was credited with alerting his mother to the fire, who in turn called 911.
All four groups participated in emergency medical training during the month of April as part of their on-going continuing education for Emergency Medical Technician. Wakefield Girl Scout troops visited fire headquarters on April 10 and 17. A den from Wakefield Cub Scout Pack 712 toured fire headquarters during the evening of April 30.
The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 263 emergency incidents during the month of March including 39 box alarms and 224 still alarms.
The Department responded to three mutual aid requests during March, once each to Lynn, Melrose and Stoneham. It received mutual aid once during March from Lynnfield. Wakefield Engine 2, along with a crew under acting Lieutenant Ken Lyons, covered a Lynn fire station during a 3-alarm fire in that city during the afternoon of March 16. Another crew from Engine 2 under Lt. Kevin Carney assisted the Stoneham Fire Department during a serious accident during the early morning of March 24.
The month of March had three potentially serious fire incidents that were quickly controlled by on-duty firefighters. Firefighters under the command of Acting Captain Brian Purcell responded to a fire at 217 Albion Street during the afternoon of March 8. The fire was caused when a candle overturned and ignited nearby combustibles in a bedroom. Fortunately fire damage was confined to the area immediately around the candle. There were no injuries and no one was displaced as a result of the fire. Firefighters under the command of Captain Joseph Riley responded to a kitchen fire at 9 Heather Lane during the afternoon of March 10. No one was hurt and damage was confined to the immediate area of the stove. A fire during the very windy evening of March 20 fanned some hot ashes next to a rear deck into a fast moving fire at 140 Harrison Avenue. Quick work by firefighters under Captain Paul Pronco and Lieutenant Thomas Purcell contained the fire to a small area of the deck.
The unseasonably warm weather in March allowed all four groups to conduct drills with the fire boats on Lake Quannapowitt. A Girl Scout Daisy troop visited fire department headquarters on March 15. The department applied for a $4,500 grant under emergency management for the installation of two new radio consoles in the fire department dispatch and emergency operations center, both located in the Public Safety Building.
The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 226 emergency incidents during the month of February including 35 box alarms and 191 still alarms.
The Department responded to five mutual aid requests during February, twice to Melrose and once each to Lynnfield, Saugus and Stoneham. It received mutual aid two times during the month of February, once each from Stoneham and Reading. Wakefield Engine 2, along with a crew under Lt. Brian Purcell, assisted the Melrose Fire Department at a 2-alarm structure fire at 46 West Emerson Street during the afternoon of February 14. Another crew from Engine 2 under Lt. Brian Purcell assisted the Saugus Fire department at their working fire at 10 Lincoln Court on February 21.
Firefighters under the command of Captain Richard Smith responded to a chimney fire at 1 Eaton Street during the afternoon of February 24. The fire was caused when heat from a wood stove ignited wood framing around the chimney. Fortunately fire damage was confined to the area immediately around the chimney and adjoining roof. There were no injuries and no one was displaced as a result of the fire. A transformer fire during the very windy afternoon of February 25 ignited a tree and some nearby brush. Firefighters under Lieutenant Thomas Purcell responded and quickly contained the fire in the congested residential area to approximately 400 square feet.
All four duty shifts conducted training drills at the former Verizon building at 451 Main Street as well as the former Ox Bow Pet Shop located at 335 Albion Street during the month of February. The department had an opportunity to train with its new roof saws and other assorted tools during these training sessions and thanks the building owners for their patience and cooperation.
The Wakefield Fire Department added three new firefighters to its ranks on February first when Nolan J. Curran of 23 Grove Street, Patrick J. Jarvis of 94 Elm Street and Michael C. Rowe of 6 Pilgrim Road were sworn in at the Town Clerk’s office. The three firefighters were hired to replace retired Wakefield Firefighter Thomas Curran and Firefighters Phil Rogers and Timothy Robblee, who transferred from the department to join the Chelsea and Malden fire departments. Firefighters Curran and Rowe grew up in Wakefield while Firefighter Jarvis is originally from Gloucester. Their appointment brings the department back to a staffing level of 49. All three firefighters received two weeks of basic training before being assigned to their respective shifts. They will be attending the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy Recruit training program in October of this year.
The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 272 emergency incidents during the month of January including 29 box alarms and 243 still alarms.
The Department responded to five mutual aid requests during January, three times to Saugus and twice to Melrose. It received mutual aid three times during the month of January, once each from Stoneham, Lynnfield and Reading. Wakefield Engine 2, along with a crew under Lt. Robert Taggart, assisted the Saugus Fire Department at a structure fire at 27 Birch Road in Saugus on January 15. Another crew from Engine 2 under Lt. Thomas Purcell responded to Saugus a second time on January 17 for a structure fire at 34 Mount Vernon Street. A crew under the command of Lt. Thomas Purcell responded to a second alarm fire at the Julian Steele House on Nason Drive in Melrose during the evening of January 24. A Crew from Wakefield Engine 2 under the command of Lt Robert Taggart returned to Saugus a third time on January 29 to assist that community at a structure fire at 20 Robinson Street.
Firefighters under the command of Captain Paul Pronco responded to a small one-room fire in an apartment building at 15 Crescent Street during the early morning of January 1. The fire, ignited by careless smoking, was fortunately confined to a living room couch and the area immediately around it. There were no injuries and no one was displaced as a result of the fire.
All four duty shifts conducted ice rescue drills on Lake Quannapowitt during the month of January. Wakefield Girl Scout Troop 71460 visited Wakefield fire headquarters on January 30 and had a great time.
The Wakefield Fire Department was notified that it will be the recipient of two Department of Homeland Security Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG). The first AFG grant is for $20,700 and will be used to replace the department’s fire hose nozzles. The town is required to provide a 10% local share ($2,070) in order to receive this grant. The second AFG grant is a regional training award with the Reading Fire department to provide for training packages on engine company operations, ladder company operations and emergency vehicle operator. The package has a total award of $111,600 of which Wakefield must pay approximately $5,580 in local share costs. The department is looking forward to replacing its stock of aging hose nozzles and looks forward to the excellent training programs being offered this coming spring and fall of 2012.