Submitted by Fire Chief Michael Dondiego
What has your volunteer Fire-Rescue Department been up to lately?
Your Fire-Rescue Department has a critical need for people to help us protect our families, friends, neighbors & property in Town & surrounding communities. If interested in becoming a 1st Responder, Firefighter, or EMT; or helping out in other ways, please contact any current Department member or myself (413-441-0957).
**Now is the time to get your heating systems and chimneys professionally serviced**
Below are the highlights of our Fire-Rescue responses, trainings and other activities for the quarterly period July 1 to September 30, 2023.
Responses:
- (34) Medical Responses
- (4) Fire/Smoke Alarms
- (1) Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms
- (3) Power Lines down (1 includes tree on fire)
- (2) Vehicle accidents
- (0) Structure Fires
- (0) Chimney fires
- (0) Brush Fires
- (3) Unpermitted/Illegal fires (1 included Hazardous materials)
- (2) Wellness checks
- (0) Search & Rescue
Training, Maintenance & Other Department Activities
- 2nd Monday each month: vehicle checks; regular FD meeting; review of incidents; upcoming in-house / external training; planning FD action items; etc.
- 4th Mondays: available staff completed the following at Worthington Fire Station:
- Engine-1 (E1) pump operator & water supply evolutions at Town pond.
- E1 Compressed Air Foam System (CAFS) firefighting operations.
- Tanker-1 (T1) vacuum & pressure mode water intake & supply operations with portable tanks at Town pond.
- SCBA (Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus) mask fit checks & training.
- 7/1: Rescue-1 (R1), E1, Engine-3 (E3) & crews partook in Chesterfield 4th July parade.
- 7/12: County training (South Deerfield): Lithium-Ion and other battery types, failure mechanisms, fire suppression methods & risks for homes, Electric Vehicles (cars, electric wheelchairs, E-bikes/E-scooters, etc.).
- 7/25: E1, E3, T1 completed annual pump certification testing at Cummington site.
- August: E1, E3, T1 completed annual hose pressure test/certifications at Cummington test site; – completed new hose installations on E1, T1.
- 8/16: Cummington Fair Coverage briefing/prep.
- 8/25: Provided E1 & C1, crews for Cummington Fair onsite response coverage.
- 8/28 R.H. Conwell School inspection of fire alarm system, extinguishers, etc.
- 9/1 conducted R.H. Conwell School whole school fire drill/evacuation.
- Completed (6) inspections: e.g., CO/smoke detectors, Solar/battery storage, tank installs/removals, or other site reviews.
- Repaired Car1 brakes, E3 starter, E1 generator, E1 parking brakes/cylinders.
- Created and added pump operations check-lists for E1, E3 and T1 individual truck binders & office copies.
- Ongoing updates of vehicle/equipment binders, including truck checklists, tools inventory, maintenance items, & general operational guidelines.
Upcoming:
- Determine & procure, with Town provided funding, new portable radios (800 MHz band) & pagers; reprogram existing base and mobile radios compliant to latest Federal, State standards.
- 1st Responder & CPR training (new or recerts) scheduled for January & April 2024
Miscellaneous:
- Established photo ID cards for all current Fire Department members
- Fire-Rescue provided escort of October Halloween parade from Station to Town Hall.
- Fire-Rescue planning escort of Santa to Town pond & Tree Lighting on December 3rd.