May 2017

The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 311 emergency incidents during the month of May including 25 box alarms and 286 still alarms.

The department responded to four requests for mutual aid during May, once each to Melrose, North Reading, Saugus and Stoneham. It did not receive any mutual aid during the month of May. A crew from Engine 4 led by Acting Lieutenant Daniel Hancock assisted the Saugus Fire Department at the scene of a 2-alarm fire at 435 Walnut Street during the afternoon of May 3. Firefighter Erik Cole was transported to and later released from the Melrose-Wakefield Hospital suffering from heat exhaustion as a result of this fire. A crew from Engine 2 led by Lieutenant David Shinney covered Stoneham fire Headquarters during a working fire in that community on the afternoon of May 19. Firefighters from Engine 1 under Lieutenant Christopher Crogan covered North Reading Fire Headquarters during a 2-alarm fire in that community during the morning of May 20.

The department’s new 1250 gallon per minute pumper has arrived in Wakefield after being driven out from the Seagrave plant in Clintonville Wisconsin. The truck is being outfitted with a radio and other assorted equipment and still needs to be lettered and detailed. Preparations on the new engine will continue and it will be placed into service in late June or early July once department members receive the necessary training in the proper use of its pump. The pump will become engine 1 and will be quartered at fire headquarters on Union Street. It will be named the Lucius Beebe Number 1 in honor of the town’s first engine 1 that was in service with the town from 1882 to 1907. The present engine 1 will be renumbered to engine 5 and used as a ready reserve engine at fire headquarters.

All four duty shifts continued their emergency medical training as part of the ongoing continuing education as Emergency Medical Technicians. Department members started their annual training with the department’s two fire boats in May prior to the beginning of this year’s boating season. A crew from Ladder 1 visited the Tall Spire Nursery School during the morning of May 30. The department participated in a table top exercise sponsored by the Wakefield Public School District Crisis Team on May 9. The exercise simulated a tornado touchdown in the vicinity of Hemlock Road including damage to the High School and Vocational School and allowed town officials to practice procedures related to severe weather emergencies.

Incident Response Report

Fire Prevention Report