October 2015

The Wakefield Fire Department responded to 301 emergency incidents during the month of October including 43 box alarms and 258 still alarms.

The department responded to three requests for mutual aid during October, all of them to Lynnfield. It received mutual aid once during October from Stoneham. Lieutenant David Shinney and a crew from Engine 1 covered the Lynnfield South Fire station during an incident in that community during the afternoon of October 10. A crew from Engine 1 led by Acting Lieutenant Robert Ford assisted the Lynnfield Fire Department during a roof fire at the UPS facility on Kimball Avenue during the early morning of October 19. A crew from Engine 1 under the command of Lieutenant Joseph Albert covered the Lynnfield South fire station during the evening of October 24.

Wakefield firefighters under the command of Captain Joseph Riley responded to a reported structure fire in an apartment building at 34 Harts Hill Road during the early afternoon of October 11. The fire was quickly extinguished and was confined to the kitchen area of a second floor apartment. The cause of the fire was determined to be the improper disposal of smoking materials. Fire damage was confined to the kitchen area of the unit although a considerable amount of smoke did extend into the adjoining hallway on the second floor. The unit below the fire suffered some water damage as well. The lone occupant of the unit was displaced as a result of the fire. There were no reported injuries.

Crews led by Captain Randy Hudson responded to the scene of a major water main break on Green Street during the afternoon of October 10. A sixteen inch water main ruptured near the intersection of Green and Dillaway Streets, resulting in thousands of gallons of water rushing down Green Street onto adjoining properties on both Green and Main Streets. The rushing water flooded basements and displaced retaining walls and trees. Considerable damage occurred to Green Street making the road in the affected section impassable to fire apparatus. Firefighters assisted DPW personnel in aiding local residents affected by the flooding. Water department employees were quickly able to isolate the water break and restore water pressure to the town within a short period.

All department groups continue their annual inspections and surveys of businesses located in their assigned districts. The department continued to conduct fire drills in every school building in Wakefield during October. Multi-hazard evacuation drills were conducted in October for the Greenwood School, the Northeast Regional Vocational School, the Woodville School, the Doyle School, the Wakefield Memorial High School and the Walton School. Children from Canterbury Children’s Center visited Wakefield Fire Headquarters during the mornings of October 2 and 3.

The entire department received training in the proper use of Nasal Naloxone (Narcan) during the month of October. The department was granted a license from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to dispense Nasal Naloxone on September 28, 2015. The Wakefield Fire Department officially equipped its fire apparatus with Narcan starting on October 30. The department joins its public safety partners, the Wakefield Police Department and Action Ambulance, as a first responder organization equipped to treat suspected victims of opioid overdoses. It is our hope that the introduction of Narcan into the department’s emergency medical inventory will help save the life of patients suffering from opioid overdoses.

Incident Response Report

Fire Prevention Report