February 2014

The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 247 emergency incidents during the month of February including 37 box alarms and 210 still alarms.

The Department responded to one request for mutual aid during February to Melrose. It received mutual aid four times in February, once from Melrose, once from Reading and twice from Stoneham.

Firefighters under the command of Captain Richard Smith responded to reported kitchen fire at 9 Reynolds Road during the evening of February 3. This fire started on the stove when grease from cooking food was ignited. The homeowner was able to contain the fire to the area of the stove prior to the arrival of the department however the entire home suffered considerable smoke damage. No one was displaced as a result of this fire and one occupant received minor burn injuries to his face.

Crews led by Captain Joseph Riley and Lieutenant Brian Purcell responded to another potentially serious incident at 26 Greenwood Street during the early morning of February 5 when a wood pellet stove malfunctioned filling the house with smoke.. The fire was confined to the stove and blamed on a malfunction of an automatic feeder for the unit. There were no injuries as a result of this incident and the family was able to stay in the home once the smoke was vented.

The department welcomed three new firefighters to its ranks during the month of February. Nathan E. Bleu, Arthur R. Fennelly and Darren R. Stead were sworn in as Wakefield firefighters on February 27. These new firefighters were appointed to replace retired Fire lieutenant Kevin Carney, retired Firefighter Eugene Doucette Jr. and Firefighter Shane brown, who transferred over to the Cambridge Fire Department. The three new firefighters will bring the department’s staffing level up to 50, with four groups of 12 firefighters, the Fire Prevention Officer and the Chief of Department.

All four duty shifts received training in the proper use of the new computer laptop installed in the fire apparatus. The units were funded by and Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) from the Department of Homeland Security. A Girl Scout troop from the Greenwood School visited the Greenwood Fire Station during the afternoon of February 27.

Incident Response Report

Fire Prevention Report