December 2019

The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 331 emergency incidents during the month of December including 38 box alarms and 293 still alarms. The calendar year 2019 ended with a record-setting 4,002 emergency responses for the department. The department has been experiencing an increase in requests for service over the past several years, a trend likely to continue as the town realizes the impact of the ongoing construction projects in its residential and commercial properties.

The department responded to four requests for mutual aid during December, twice to Stoneham and once each to Lynnfield and Melrose. It received mutual aid six times in December, three times from Lynnfield, twice from Stoneham and once from Reading. A crew from Engine 2 under Lieutenant Michael Long covered Stoneham Fire Headquarters during the afternoon of December 15 while that department was tied up with multiple emergency calls. Later the same day, the same crew under Lieutenant Long covered Melrose Fire Headquarters when that department became tied up with numerous calls.

Firefighters from Engine 2 under Lieutenant Joseph Albert responded to the scene of a work-related accident at 37 Greenwood Street during the morning of December 10. Upon arrival, firefighters quickly discovered that a 34 year old male had fallen to the ground during a tree removal process, striking his head. Sadly, the man’s injuries were very severe resulting in his death.

Crews led by Captain Randy Hudson responded to a report of wires down in the area of Bellevue Road and Morrison Avenue during the afternoon of December 16. Firefighters arrived within several minutes to find that a crane truck had caught a low electrical cable and as a result snapped a utility pole in half. The crane was then covered with energized power lines, forcing the driver to remain in the vehicle until workers from the Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department were able to render the area safe. The driver was not injured during this incident and the crane was able to drive away after it had been freed from the power lines.

Firefighters under the command of Captain Randy Hudson responded to a reported house fire at 21 Forrester Road during the morning of December 30. Firefighters arrived the main electrical service to the home on fire. Firefighters entered the home finding a moderate smoke condition throughout the residence. The Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department was called to the scene to shut down the power to the residence at the utility pole. Firefighters were then able to access the siding around the main electrical service and extinguish the residual fires burning in the wooden siding. Investigation of the scene soon revealed that the electrical cable going into the house service had worn through and failed causing extensive arcing in that area. There was no fire extension to any other areas of the building and no injuries as a result of the fire. Smoke was quickly vented from the building once the fire was extinguished.

The Department received a grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security and the Department of Fire Services in the amount of $2,475 in State Fiscal Year 2020 funding from the Firefighter Turnout Gear Grant Program for the purchase of 25 sets of firefighting gloves for its department members. This grant will supply the department members with an additional set of gloves that can be worn whenever their first set of gloves are damaged or are in need of cleaning because they have been used at a fire or any other incident involving hazardous materials. This gear will help protect department members from the immediate risks associated with fighting fires in dangerous environments and protect them from the delayed risks of occupational cancers caused by exposure to then toxic chemicals produced during fires. Recent studies have indicated that the risk to firefighters can be reduced significantly by washing contaminated protective gear as soon as possible after returning from a fire or hazardous chemical incident. The department is pleased to receive this grant and will distribute the firefighting gloves to those members in need of a second set.

The Department also received a Fiscal Year 2018 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant from U.S. Department of Homeland Security for $195,229. This three-year personnel grant will partially fund an additional firefighter for the department to backfill the vacancy created by the creation of a new Deputy Fire Chief position. The SAFER grant will fund 65% of the cost of salary and benefits for this entry level firefighter for calendar years 2020 and 2021 and 35% of the cost of the firefighter for calendar year 2022.

Incident Response Report

Fire Prevention Report