I am pleased to present the Annual Report of the Wakefield Fire Department for calendar year 2024. The department had a busy yeardealing with both emergencies and the construction boom taking place around town. The department responded to 4,726 emergency calls during 2024, an increase of 401 responses (9.3%) over the previous year.
The ongoing development in town, especially the construction of numerous large apartment and condominium complexes, has resulted in an increase in emergency responses handled by this department. The department has experienced a steady increase in emergency responses as large residential developments are being completed and occupied. Instances of multiple simultaneous calls or back to back calls are occurring with increasing regularity, comprising approximately 30% of the department’s emergency responses. This increase in the number of emergency responses will have to be closely monitored in the future. They may warrant the staffing of a third fire engine or perhaps the addition of a third fire station in the future. Developments that have already been approved or that are presently under consideration will undoubtably continue to create an increased demand on services provided to the community by this department. The Wakefield Fire Department continues to receive significant financial aid in the form of state and federal grants. These grants have become a vital source of funding to purchase new equipment and training programs for the department. A summary of the financial aid received by the federal and state government can be found in the apparatus and equipment section of this report.
Emergency Incident Response
During 2024 the Wakefield Fire Department responded to 4,726 emergency incidents, including 4,284 Still Alarms and 442 Box Alarms. Wakefield had one civilian fire death in 2024. The department responded to seven incidents in 2024 requiring a multiple-alarm response.
Firefighters led by Captain John Walsh responded to a reported house fire at 21 Forest Street on February 9 at 10:41 P.M. Arriving firefighters found heavy smoke emitting from the second floor and eaves and struck a second alarm. The fire was extinguished in approximately 45 minutes causing extensive fire damage through the second floor. The homeowner was displaced as a result of this fire. One firefighter was transported as a precaution to the hospital with heat exhaustion. He was treated and released the same day. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental, possibly due to an unattended space heater that was determined to be in close proximity to nearby storage.
Wakefield’s second-multiple alarm fire of 2024 occurred at 387 Lowell Street at 7:17 P.M. on March 24. Firefighters under the command of Captain Randy Hudson responded to a report of a fire alarm sounding in Dino’s Pizzeria. They found a heavy smoke condition inside the adjoining business to Dino’s, the North Shore Animal Academy. Captain Hudson struck a second alarm for additional personnel as firefighters forced their way into the store. The fire was quickly knocked down but caused a considerable smoke condition throughout the row of stores. The store was full of exotic pets including snakes, iguanas and spiders, which had to be removed and kept warm during the fire. There was no extension of the fire beyond the pet store and no injuries to firefighters. The cause of the fire was determined to be an accidental but undetermined, possibly due to an electrical malfunction, originating inside the pet store.
The next multiple alarm fire occurred on July 30 at 9:50 A.M. when firefighters were summoned to a reported house fire at 4 Cooper Street. First arriving firefighters found a fire inside the kitchen of the first-floor unit and immediately stretched a hose line to this area. The fire was suspected to be extending into concealed wall and ceiling spaces and a second alarm was ordered by Captain Randy Hudson. More personnel were also necessary at the scene due to the hot and humid weather conditions. The entire first floor suffered heavy fire and heat damage with the remainder of the two-family receiving significant smoke damage. All occupants of the building were displaced by the fire. There were no injuries to either civilians or firefighters during this incident. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental, most likely the result of unattended cooking in the first-floor kitchen.
The fourth multiple alarm fire of 2024 occurred at 8:03 P.M. on September 15 at 17 Albion Street. Firefighters under the command of Captain Paul Pronco found fire rapidly extending up an exterior wall to the roofline in the alley between 15 and 17 Albion Street. Hose lines were extended into the alley and the second-floor apartment to limit fire extension as much as possible. A second alarm was ordered to bring additional personnel to the scene. The fire was quickly knocked down, with fire damage primarily confined to the alley exterior wall and roof soffit area. The remainder of the structure suffered considerable smoke, heat and water damage. Several residents of the building were displaced by this fire. One firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion at the scene before returning to duty. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental, most likely the careless disposal of smoking materials in a trash can inside the alley where the fire started.
The next multiple alarm fire occurred on November 17 at 12:47 P.M. when firefighters responded to a reported structure fire at 8 Wakefield Avenue. Crews led by Captain John Walsh found a fire extending inside an exterior wall at the rear of the building. The 7-unit apartment building was evacuated with the help of responding police officers as the building started to fill with smoke. All visible fire was quickly extinguished, however, the fire continued to extend inside concealed wall spaces. Captain Walsh ordered a second alarm for additional personnel as there were multiple walls layers that had to be opened to access the fire. This opening-up process was extensive resulting in Chief Sullivan requesting a third alarm to bring more help to the scene. The fire was eventually contained to the exterior wall where it started and adjoining spaces. The remainder of the apartment building suffered significant smoke damage. There were no injuries as a result of the fire. All building occupants were displaced until repairs could be made. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental, most likely due to the careless disposal of smoking materials on the ground in the corner of the building where the fire started.
Wakefield’s sixth multiple alarm fire occurred nine days later at 9:54 A.M. on November 26 when crews led by Captain Randy Hudson responded to a house fire at 241 Pleasant Street. The department’s Fire Prevention Officer, Captain David Shinney, spotted the fire while out on inspections, called it into fire headquarters and then evacuated the residence. The fire had already spread throughout the entire attic area prior to its discovery. Captain Hudson ordered a second alarm bringing additional help to the scene. Numerous holes had to be cut in the roof and second floor ceiling to gain access to the fire. The entire roof and attic area were heavily damaged during the fire with the remainder of the home suffering water and smoke damage. The family living in this residence was displaced by the fire. There were no injuries to either firefighters or civilians during this incident. The exact cause of the fire could not be determined but is considered to be accidental.
The seventh and last multiple alarm fire of the year occurred at 8:44 A.M. on December 8. Firefighters under the command of Captain Brian Purcell responded to a report of a structure fire at 318 Water Street. They arrived within two minutes to find fire showing from three windows at the front right corner of the three-story building. The 6-unit apartment building was evacuated by a combination of police officers and firefighters. Lieutenant Arthur Fennelly and Firefighter Charles Curran entered a burning apartment on the third floor and found a 56-year-old female occupant on the floor. She was removed from the building treated at the scene and transported to Massachusetts General Hospital in critical condition. Sadly, the woman succumbed from her injuries. The fire was quickly contained to the original apartment where it had started. One other resident was transported to an area hospital where they were treated and released. There were no firefighters injured during this incident. An investigation was conducted by the State Fire Marshal’s Office together with local police and fire investigators. The cause was determined to be accidental, most likely involving careless smoking in the presence of oxygen equipment. All five of the remaining occupants of the building were displaced as a result of this fire.
Weather played a significant role in the department’s responses during 2024. Relatively little rain and low humidity during the summer and fall of 2024 created tinder dry conditions in the wooded areas around the region.
The department responded to numerous requests for mutual aid involving large brush fires starting on October 27 when Engine 1 assisted the Middleton Fire Department with a large brush that required a 5-alarm response. Engine 2 was dispatched to Saugus to help that department with a large 20-acre brush fire in Breakheart Reservation in the vicinity of the Cedar Glen Golf Course. The brush fire crisis escalated as moderate winds and extreme drought conditions continued into the first half of November. The Department responded to several large brush fires in Reading and North Reading during this period. Closer to home, several brush fires involving more than 20 acres of Breakheart Reservation burned requiring a daily response from the department, working closely with both the Saugus Fire Department and firefighters from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). One fire burned along the high voltage power lines, near the site of the new Northeast Regional Vocational School and the June Circle residential neighborhood. A second fire of equal size burned along the Fern Trail between the upper road and the lower lake of Breakheart Reservation.
The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 44 requests for mutual aid during 2024. Mutual aid responses included fires in Chelsea, Lynnfield, Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Saugus, Stoneham, Winchester and Woburn.
Lieutenant Michael Long is a member of the Massachusetts District 2 Hazardous Materials Response Team. This regional hazardous materials response team is funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which pays for all the associated training and incident response costs to support the team’s activities. Lieutenant Long responded to one incident during 2024. The team was sent to the construction site for the North Andover Middle School on May 16 to handle a chemical spill.
Captain Paul Pronco and Lieutenant Steven Bivens are members of the Northeast Massachusetts Technical Rescue Team. The team trains for incidents that could require a technical rescue such as building and trench collapses, high-angle rope and rapid-water rescues. The Northeast Technical Rescue Team is subsidized by funding from the Northeast Homeland Security Regional Advisory Council, which reimburses the department for a portion of the training and incident response expenses associated with this team. Captain Pronco was deployed with other members of this team to the Town of Byfield after a man went missing in a river near Forest Street during the evening of January 11. Sadly, the man drowned in the river and his body was recovered by this technical rescue team, the Beverly Fire Department Dive Team and the Byfield Fire Department.
Personnel
As of December 31, 2024, the Wakefield Fire Department consisted of 56 personnel: The Fire Chief, a Deputy Fire Chief, five Captains, including a Captain assigned as a Fire Prevention Officer, 12 Lieutenants, 36 Firefighters, and one civilian Administrative Assistant.
The year 2024 brought several personnel changes to the Wakefield Fire Department. Wakefield Fire Lieutenant Philip Preston retired on March 5 after serving the department for more than thirty years. Wakefield Firefighter Gerald Sancinito was promoted as a Permanent Fire Lieutenant on April 12 to replace Lieutenant Preston. Wakefield Firefighter Jarrod Fitzpatrick resigned from the department on July 23 to pursue other interests. Joseph Tropeano was appointed as a Permanent Firefighter on August 27 to fill the opening created by the promotion of Lieutenant Sancinito. Tropeano attended the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy (MFA) Recruit Training Class 325, graduating from the Academy on November 18. Jake Dennen was appointed a Permanent Firefighter on September 20 to fill the opening created by the resignation of Firefighter Fitzpatrick. Dennen attended the MFA Recruit Training Class 327, graduating on January 31, 2025.
Apparatus and Equipment
The department did not purchase any fire apparatus or other vehicles during 2024.
Funding from federal and state agencies continues to serve a vital role in providing the necessary equipment and training that the department needs to carry out its public-safety mission. The department placed into service a new air compressor for its self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) worth $111,000 that was primarily funded by a federal Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) Grant combined with a local match.
A state fiscal year 2024 Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant for $18,936 was awarded to the department in January to fund the purchase of several new air bottles for the department’s self-contained breathing apparatus, new fire nozzles, hydrogen cyanide gas detectors and a multi-gas detector that scans for levels of oxygen, natural gas, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide.
The department applied for a fiscal year 2025 Safety Fire Equipment Grant for $18,916 to fund three hydraulic rescue jacks, two chains saws for roof ventilation, one thermal imaging camera and a set of rescue cribbing used to prop up heavy objects lifted by hydraulic rescue tools.
The last two grants mentioned are part of a five-year program being offered to municipal fire departments by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. State funding also pays for the training and response costs associated with the department’s participation in the regional hazardous materials and technical rescue response teams. State funding reimburses the department for 100% of the costs of participating with the regional hazardous materials team and a portion of the cost for its participation in the regional technical rescue team.
The department received as part of last year’s capital budget requests a new fire boat, an ATV vehicle, and safety interlocks for its vehicle overhead doors that prevents them from coming down if something is in their way.
This year’s Capital requests include a vehicle to replace the fire prevention car, a $5,000 local match for a federal AFG grant, $5,250 for the purchase of iPad tablets for fire apparatus to support a new dispatch and fire prevention software being purchased by the department and $1.3 for a new 1250 gallon-per minute fire department pumping engine for a total of $1,358,250. The cost of fire apparatus has risen sharply over the last several years as raw materials such as steel and electronic components are difficult to obtain. There is also a very significant delivery back log of fire trucks on order caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, when no fire trucks were manufactured for almost two years.
All the department’s pumper engines, fire hose, ground ladders, its aerial ladder and breathing apparatus were inspected, tested and certified during 2024. The air compressor used by the department to refill its breathing apparatus was also inspected. All of the department’s semi-automatic defibrillators received their annual service during 2024. All department vehicles successfully passed their state vehicle safety inspections.
Training
The department participated in many training programs this year, including programs offered by the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy and outside vendors. Department members also completed continuing education requirements for their Emergency Medical Technician certificates. They were all re-certified in CPR techniques as well as the proper use of the department’s defibrillators. The department conducted training activities on the following topics during 2024:
- Practiced water and ice rescue procedures at Lake Quannapowitt and Crystal Lake including the operation of the two fire boats operated by the department
- reviewed high-rise firefighting procedures including the use of standpipe systems and elevator recall systems
- conducted training with the department’s hydraulic rescue tools including the “Jaws of Life”, hydraulic rams, jacks and air bags
- It participated in classes pertaining to the treatment of injured police canines (Nero’s Law) as well as the proper use of the Lucas automatic chest compression system as part of their Emergency Medical Technician training
- practiced with fire suppression blankets used for electric car fires
- practiced aerial ladder-pipe set-up procedures for the Ladder truck
- reviewed procedures involving the use of the department’s multi-gas detectors and responses to carbon monoxide, natural gas and propane-related emergencies
- practiced chimney fire procedures and related operations
- reviewed emergency dispatch and radio procedures
- took part in training classes including proper patient lifting techniques sponsored by Cataldo Ambulance as part of the department’s Emergency Medical Technician
continuing education program - conducted building familiarization tours of new buildings at 89-95 Hopkins Street and 184 Water Street
- practiced hose and roof cutting evolutions at 314-330 Salem Street, which were scheduled to be razed
- conducted search and rescue drills and techniques used to rescue trapped firefighters at the Hurd School
Wakefield Firefighters Joseph Tropeano and Jake Dennen were enrolled in Massachusetts Firefighting Academy (MFA) recruit training classes, successfully completing the ten-week program.
Captain Paul Pronco and Lieutenant Steven Bivens continue to be active members of the Northeast Massachusetts Technical Rescue Team, and Lieutenant Michael Long continues to be an active member of the District 2 Hazardous Materials Response Team. All three department members attend regular monthly training pertaining to their specialized teams.
Fire Prevention
The Department continued its practice of conducting in-service inspections of commercial and industrial properties in town during 2024. As a result, 563 business fire inspections were conducted in the community between March and November of 2024 by on-duty firefighters operating on a ready-to-respond basis. An additional 80 quarterly inspections of school buildings, nursing homes, hotels and boarding homes were also conducted by on-duty firefighters.
Captain David Shinney, the department’s fire prevention officer, conducted 84 inspections related to local and state licensing of restaurants, liquor stores, assembly halls, group homes, day care centers and after-school programs. He completed 290 compliance inspections during 2024 to ensure that any potential violations or hazards previously discovered were corrected.
Wakefield continued to experience a construction boom in 2024. Large construction projects are being planned for locations on Broadway, Foundry Street, Hopkins Street, Main Street, North Avenue, Quannapowitt Parkway, Salem Street and Water Street. The Fire Prevention Bureau is closely monitoring construction that is presently under way on a new 30-unit apartment building at 610 Salem Street, a 58-unit apartment complex at 62 Foundry Street and a 440-unit apartment complex on Quannapowitt Parkway. The department conducted approximately 92 on-site safety inspections of large construction sites during 2024. The Bureau reviewed approximately 86 sets of plans during 2024, including residential additions, new homes and commercial tenant fit-ups in many locations around Wakefield.
Fire Prevention Officer Captain David Shinney, as well as Deputy Fire Chief Thomas Purcell, continue to fill a vital role in the Wakefield Fire Department. The department can’t function properly without these two administrative positions. The Deputy Fire Chief also serves as the department’s executive officer, assuming command of the department in the absence of the Fire Chief. The Deputy coordinates training, develops new policies and procedures and helps to prepare the operating budget. The Deputy also coordinates the maintenance of the department’s fire stations, equipment and vehicles.
The department conducted numerous fire station tours during 2024 including numerous boy and girl scout groups, preschools and summer school programs. Additionally, several in-service visits were made by firefighters to various pre-school and kindergarten classes in town. Fire drills were conducted at each school facility a total of four times a school year. Several Multi- hazard evacuation drills were conducted during the fall of 2024 with more being planned for the spring of 2025.
Conclusion
I am grateful to the community and especially the Town Council, Finance Committee and Town Administrator Stephen P. Maio for their ongoing support during the year. As Wakefield enters 2025, my goals are to advocate for the replacement of aging fire apparatus, provide quality training programs for department members and identify funding resources such as additional grants to assist in the department’s equipment and training needs. I will continue to monitor the increase in emergency responses made by this department and recommend the need for additional personnel and facilities, including the construction of a third fire station, as circumstances demonstrate the need for them. I would like to thank all the members of the Wakefield Fire Department, the Wakefield Police Department, all other town boards, committees and departments and the citizens of Wakefield for their continued support and assistance
Respectfully submitted,
Chief Michael J. Sullivan
Wakefield Fire Department
Also see the Statistical Report 2024
