The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 266 emergency incidents during the month of October including 42 box alarms and 224 still alarms.
The Department responded to 6 mutual aid requests during October, twice to Melrose, twice to Saugus and once each to Lynn and North Reading. The department received mutual aid two times from Lynnfield during the month of October. Wakefield Engine 2, under the command of Lieutenant Randy Hudson, assisted the Saugus Fire Department at a large fire at the former Atlantic Lobster facility on Route 107 during the evening of October 8th. A crew from Engine two under the command of Acting Lieutenant Brian Purcell responded to a house fire on Central Street in Saugus on October 26th. Wakefield also covered vacant fire stations in Lynn and North Reading during serious fires in those communities.
All department duty shifts toured the new 28 unit apartment building recently completed at 600 Salem Street. All shifts also completed emergency medical training on various topics during October. The department participated in the town’s hazardous materials waste collection day on October 31st. The department took delivery of 3,000 feet of new four inch supply hose which was promptly loaded onto the three department pumpers to replace the old worn out hose. The entire department also began using their brand new firefighting coats and pants purchased under a federal FEMA grant and an allotment from the Capital Outlay account.
October is fire prevention month and the Wakefield Fire Department has been busy with many activities in the school community. The department participated in evacuation drills at the Nazareth Academy on Cordis Street on October 1st, the Dolbeare School on October 8th, the Walton and Wakefield high Schools on October 14th, and the Woodville School on October 20th. These drills are key to insuring a smooth evacuation in the event of an emergency preventing the return of the students to their respective schools and the cooperation of the school department in carrying these drills out is greatly appreciated. The very popular fire safety house has returned to the schools with the Walton and Dolbeare Schools receiving their programs during the last week of October. Children from Cantebury Children’s Center visited fire headquarters on October 6th and 7th and Greenwood School Kindergarten classes visited the Greenwood fire station on October 8th and 9th. Children from the North Suburban Family Network visited fire headquarters during the morning of October 17th.
The department responded to a potentially serious incident on October 20th at a new street named Carriage Lane when underground electrical lines were dug up, causing a power surge that heated up the wiring in several homes. Crews under the command of Captain Joseph Riley worked with Wakefield Municipal Light Department personnel to quickly bring the situation under control.
