The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 235 emergency incidents during the month of May 2008 including 43 Box Alarms and 192 Still Alarms.
Some of the varied and somewhat unusual incidents responded to and handled by the department during the month of May included:
- A serious kitchen fire in a Salem Street home on May 8th residence that forced the evacuation of the 2-family residence.
- A large brush fire on top of Harts Hill off Main Street on May 9th.
- A discovery of unexploded dynamite at a Greenwood construction site, also on May 9th, that required the response of the State Police Explosives Unit.
- A fatal pedestrian accident on Route 95 / 128 in the early morning hours of May 22nd.
- A massive home heating oil spill in the Old Nahant Road area on Friday evening, May 23rd.
- A serious multi-vehicle accident resulting in a difficult extrication, a massive traffic jam, and a Med Flight helicopter response, again on Route 95 / 128 on Memorial Day evening, May 26th.
The fire department responded to 5 mutual aid requests during May, including Melrose (3) and Saugus (2). The department received mutual aid 4 times in May, from Stoneham (1), Reading (2) and Lynnfield (1).
Fire Department activities during the month of May included:
*School fire drills
*Quarterly inspections of nursing homes, schools and hotels – lodging houses.
*Continued training with the department’s Boston Whaler rescue boat at Lake Quannapowitt.
*Completed our annual hose testing program.
Wakefield also participated in a very successful Functional Emergency Exercise, sponsored by the Mystic Regional Emergency Planning Group that was held on May 6, 2008.
The department received another generous donation from The Alcoa Foundation in the amount of $8,000.00 that will be used to support our 2008 – 2009 school fire & burn safety education program. We are grateful for the private support and assistance during these tough financial times.
