January 2014

The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 341 emergency incidents during the month of January including 60 box alarms and 281 still alarms. The unusually high number of responses is due primarily to the extreme cold experienced by the region during January. The department responded to numerous residences and businesses as a result of frozen and burst pipes. Icy road condition added to the number of medical emergencies and motor vehicle accidents that the department responded to. Frigid winter weather can also result in an increased number of structure fires as evidenced by the department’s increased mutual aid responses in January.

The Department responded to eleven requests for mutual aid during January, four times to Saugus, three times to Lynnfield, twice to Melrose and once to Reading and Hamilton. It received mutual aid twice in January, once from Melrose and once from Reading. A crew under Lieutenant Brian Purcell assisted the Saugus Fire Department at a structure fire at 70 Clifton Avenue during the morning of January 1. Engine 2 responded to the scene of another structure fire at 482 Central Street in Saugus during the evening of January 3. Wakefield Engine 2 covered Melrose Fire Headquarters during a fire in that city on the morning of January 15. Lieutenant Robert Taggart led a crew that responded to a 2-alarm fire at 197 Bay State Road in Melrose during the evening of January 19. Wakefield Engine 1 covered the Reading Fire headquarters during a working fire in that town on the evening of January 28. Several hours later Lieutenant Robert Taggart led a crew that responded to a working fire at 26 Longwood Avenue in Saugus. A crew from Engine 2 under the command of Lieutenant Joseph Albert responded to a structure fire at 10 Laurel Street in Saugus during the evening of January 29.

Crews led by Captain Joseph Riley and Lieutenant Brian Purcell responded to a potentially serious stove fire at 16 Woodbury Road during the afternoon of January 1. The fire, confined to the top of the stove, was rapidly extinguished by the first arriving firefighters. A serious smoke condition was created within the apartment that reduced the visibility to zero within the unit. Firefighters under Lieutenant Brian Purcell conducted a rapid search of the apartment, locating and removing an adult male who had been overcome by smoke during the fire. The victim was removed outdoors and received treatment for severe smoke inhalation before being transported to the hospital by Action Ambulance paramedics. The injured occupant recovered completely and has returned to his residence. Lieutenant Brian Purcell, and Firefighters Erik Cole, Sean Giampa, William Carr, John Mercurio and Nolan Curran all received a department commendation for their actions in saving the life of this individual.

Firefighters under the command of Captain Richard Smith responded to another potentially serious residential fire at 6 Morningside Road during the evening of January 12. This fire started in a stove located in the basement of the residence and was quickly contained due to the quick actions of one of the residents who used a garden hose to knock down the fire. The fire was contained to basement area around the stove however the entire residence suffered considerable smoke damage. No one was displaced as a result of this fire and there were no injuries.

Captain Paul Pronco responded to 480 Bay Road in Hamilton along with other members of the Essex County Technical Rescue Team during the afternoon of January 25 to participate in the successful rescue of a horse that had fallen though the ice at that location. The Essex Country Technical Rescue Team is a regional group composed of firefighters from many communities. Team responses as well as all training are fully funded by the Northeast Homeland Security Regional Advisory Council (NERAC). The team has performed very well at several well publicized rescues recently and Wakefield is fortunate to be able to participate in its successful implementation.

The department received 5 computer laptops and associated software as part of the 2012 Assistance to Firefighters Grant program funded by the Department of Homeland Security. This regional grant involving the communities of Melrose, Saugus, Malden, Chelsea and Lynn will allow firefighters on emergency apparatus to access vital information regarding buildings in all of the participating communities. This federal grant program funds approximately 80% of the cost of these laptops with the remaining 20% being funded through the department’s capital outlay budget for Fiscal Year 2014. Department members received training in the proper use of these kits and they have been installed in the department’s apparatus.

Incident Response Report

Fire Prevention Report