December 2020

The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 358 emergency incidents during the month of December including 34 box alarms and 324 still alarms. The department responded to six requests for mutual aid during December, three times to Stoneham, twice to Melrose and once to Lynnfield. The department received mutual aid eight times during the month of December, twice from Lynnfield, and once each from Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Saugus, Stoneham and Woburn.

A crew from Engine 2 under Lieutenant Erik Cole covered Stoneham Fire Headquarters while their firefighters were tied up dealing with a vehicle submerged in a pond during the morning of December 2. A crew from Engine 1 led by Lieutenant Dan Hancock assisted the Lynnfield Fire Department at the scene of a chimney fire at 1 Freeman Street during the early evening of December 16. A crew from Engine 2 under Lt. Robert Taggart covered Stoneham fire Headquarters while their crews were tied up at a structure fire during the afternoon of December 21. Firefighters from Engine 2 under the command of Lieutenant Michael Long assisted the Stoneham Fire Department at the scene of a 2-alarm fire at 13 Bow Street during the afternoon of December 31.

Firefighters under the command of Captain Randy Hudson responded to a reported house fire at 12 Chestnut Street during the early evening of December 18. Upon their arrival, firefighters found a fire in the kitchen of a third-floor apartment and quickly stretched a hose line via the front stairwell of the eight-unit apartment building. The visible fire was quickly knocked down but the resulting zero-visibility conditions from banked down heat and smoke as well as the heavy smoke emitting from the roof resulted in Captain Hudson calling for a second alarm to bring additional personnel to the scene. Engines from Melrose, Reading and Stoneham and a North Reading Ladder responded to the scene to assist with checking the building for fire extension. None was found and the fire was confined to the third-floor apartment. The cause of the fire is still under investigation but is strongly suspected to be accidental via unattended food in the oven. The occupant of the third- floor apartment was transported to Melrose-Wakefield Hospital where he was treated for smoke inhalation and released. The third-floor apartment received heavy fire and smoke damage from the fire with the remainder of the structure sustaining a significant amount of water damage. The Building Inspector deemed the property unfit for habitation and eight building occupants will be displaced until repairs can be made. Wakefield Emergency Manager Thomas Walsh responded to the scene and assisted the displaced residents obtain emergency shelter at the Four-Points Sheraton in Wakefield for the night. Wakefield Police Officers led by Sergeant John Burnham evacuated building occupants just prior to the arrival of the department. Sergeant Burnham himself was responsible for the rescue of the third-floor occupant where the fire started. He forced the door to the apartment open and led the male occupant out of the building, likely saving him from serious or potentially fatal injuries. A Saugus and Woburn engine and a Lynnfield ladder truck covered Wakefield Fire Headquarters during this incident.

The Wakefield Fire Department continues to respond a significant number of emergency medical responses involving citizens sick with or suspected of having the Covid-19 virus. The nation is in the midst of a second surge in Covid-19 infections during the year-end holiday season. This surge started shortly after Thanksgiving with an additional spike showing up after Christmas and has proven to be more severe than the first surge back in April. Wakefield sustained an increase of 317 new Covid-19 positive individuals during the last half of December alone. The department responded, along with Cataldo Ambulance, to 196 incidents in December where the presence of Covid-19 was either confirmed or suspected. Department personnel equipped with medical masks, gowns, shields and gloves respond to all requests for medical aid providing the highest level of protection for both the firefighters and the citizens of Wakefield. Citizens are reminded of the importance of calling 911 for injuries and illnesses that are not Covid-19 related. Citizens with signs and symptoms involving heart attacks, stroke, severe hemorrhaging, allergic reactions and other life-threatening conditions still require prompt treatment and transport to the hospital; it is imperative that these citizens still call 911 for help. Hospitals and emergency rooms have taken extensive precautions to minimize the risk to patients not infected by Covid-19.

All department members participated in both on-line training and instructor led programs related to their continuing education requirements for Emergency Medical Technician. All duty shifts conducted in service walk-throughs of the new 81 Unit apartment building located at 69 Foundry Street during December.

Incident Response Report

Fire Prevention Report