The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 259 emergency incidents during the month of May including 31 box alarms and 228 still alarms.
The Department responded to 8 mutual aid requests during May, including three from Lynnfield, three from Stoneham, one from Reading and one from Saugus. The department received mutual aid six times in May, twice from Stoneham and once each from Reading, Lynnfield, Melrose, and North Reading.
The Department responded to a serious pedestrian accident in the parking lot of the Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School during the afternoon of May 11th. Despite the efforts of numerous bystanders, the Wakefield Fire and Police Departments and Action Ambulance paramedics, a nineteen year old local woman died of injuries received from this incident.
Wakefield experienced its first multiple alarm fire of 2009 on Sunday May 17th when crews under the command of Captain David Myette and Lieutenant Kevin Carney responded to a report of a house fire at 30 Summer Street. The early morning fire in this two family residence heavily damaged the second floor apartment. Four residents were displaced as a result of this fire, which was accidentally caused by the careless disposal of smoking materials.
Crews under the command of Captain David Myette responded to a trailer fire involving road sealant on the morning of Monday May 18th at 40 Main Street, adjacent to Honey Dew donuts. This fire was caused by a part failure in the propane powered heating system for the trailer with flames impinging upon a 100 pound propane cylinder for a short period before the fire was extinguished. A second vehicle fire at 28 Richardson Avenue was quickly extinguished during the early morning hours of May 19th by crews under the command of Lieutenant Kevin Carney. The circumstances surrounding this fire are under active investigation at this time.
Wakefield Engine 2, stationed at the greenwood fire station, responded to four serious out of town fires during the month of May. A crew under the command of Lieutenant Hudson responded to a two alarm house fire on Haverhill Street in Reading during the morning of May 11th. Lieutenant Kessel and his crew responded to a Saugus fire on May 20th involving a mobile home on Hawkes Street. The third fire occurred on May 23rd, with a crew under Lieutenant Hudson responding to a serious three alarm fire in an elderly housing facility on Parker Chase Road. The final mutual aid fire occurred on May 30th at a two alarm fire on Pomeworth Street in Stoneham which was handled by a crew under Lieutenant Kessel. The department also sent an engine to cover the vacant Lynnfield Fire Station during a structure fire in that town on May 4th.
All duty shifts received training on the compressed natural gas powered busses operated by the MBTA. All shifts also conducted fire boat drills at Lake Quannapowitt during the month of May. All four groups conducted a familiarization tour of the newly renovated restaurant Artichokes and the attached residential units in the building formerly occupied by the Wakefield YMCA.
The department finished its annual pressure testing of all fire department hose the first two Saturdays in May. This testing is important in that it picks up defects in hose and potential failures before they can cause a problem during a fire incident. The department participated in the annual Police memorial service for deceased officers on May 10th and the annual Memorial Day parade held on May 25th.
