The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 271 emergency incidents during the month of July including 34 box alarms and 237 still alarms.
The Department responded to ten mutual aid requests during July, five times to Melrose, twice to Saugus, twice to Lynnfield and once to Lynn. The department received mutual aid six times during the month of July, twice from Stoneham and once from Lynnfield, Melrose, Reading, and North Reading. Wakefield Engine 2, under the command of Lieutenant Robert Taggart, assisted the Saugus Fire Department at a fire on Clayton Avenue during the evening of July 4th. Lieutenant Brian Purcell and his crew assisted at a two alarm fire at 142 Walnut Street in Saugus during the evening of July 25th. Wakefield also assisted Melrose with coverage on July 26th and 27th while they worked extensive brush fires in that city. A crew led by Lieutenant Thomas Purcell responded to the City of Lynn during a 3 alarm fire in that community on the afternoon of July 29th.
July was a hot month with relatively little rain. The department responded to several stubborn brush fires in the Crystal Park area of town in the vicinity of Sylvan Avenue and West Park Drive on July 3rd, 5th, and 6th that were labor intensive and tied up a considerable amount of the on duty personnel.
Crews under the command of Captain Joseph Riley responded to a serious two alarm house fire during at 2 Stone Way during the early morning hours of July 18th. There were no reported injuries during this accidental fire which originated in a chiminea located on a rear deck of the residence. The fire quickly extended into the house before Wakefield crews with the assistance of Stoneham, Reading, and North Reading brought it under control. Melrose and Lynnfield covered Wakefield during the fire. This was Wakefield’s fourth multiple alarm fire since January 1st.
Wakefield firefighters Chris Curran, Sean Giampa, Timothy Donovan, and Gerald Sancinito started their training with the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy recruit training class number 188 on July 6th. This class will run for twelve straight weeks until the end of September. The department received a delivery of 40 much needed air bottles for our self-contained breathing apparatus during the month of July. These bottles will replace 44 cylinders that had reached the end of their service life. The purchase was made as part of the department capital outlay request for Fiscal Year 2011.
Wakefield Fire Captain David Myette retired from the department on July 7th after serving almost 40 years with the department. Myette was appointed a provisional firefighter with the department on December 10. 1970, a permanent firefighter on June 20, 1972, a Lieutenant on August 9, 1993, and a Captain on October 17, 2002. Myette was the senior Captain in the department at the time of his retirement. We wish him a long and healthy retirement.
Wakefield firefighter Thomas Purcell was promoted to Fire Lieutenant effective July 15, 2010. Lieutenant Purcell will be replacing Lieutenant Randy Hudson, who was promoted to Fire Captain on July 15th. Captain Hudson was promoted to replace retired Captain David Myette.
