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.
