ANNUAL
TOWN REPORT
FIRE DEPARTMENT
I
herewith submit the Annual Report of the Fire Department for the year ending
December 31, 2004.
ROSTER OF THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT
Chief and Forest Warden, P.
Robert Wallace
PERMANENT FIRE FIGHTERS
Brian A. Falk
Stephen N. Rybacki
Gary L. Savaria
Shawn B. Minahan
Paul J. Morrissette
Edward C. McCandlish
Benjamin L. Cote (Appointed
1/5/04)
Call Deputy Chief and Deputy Forest Warden
Stephen N. Rybacki
ENGINE # 1
|
(8)
|
ENGINE # 2
|
(8)
|
Captain
|
D.
Villamaino
|
Captain
|
R.
Brady
|
|
Lt.
|
F.
Santaniello
|
Lt.
|
P.
Morrissette
|
|
F.F.
|
A.
Gentile
|
F.F. (D)
|
B.
Minahan
|
|
F.F.
|
C.
Higgins
|
F.F.
|
B.
Torrey
|
|
F.F.
|
C.
Ottoson
|
F.F.
|
G.
Frigo
|
|
F.F.
|
J.
Giordano
|
F.F.
|
D.
Langford
|
|
F.F. (D)
|
S.
Strohman
|
F.F. (D)
|
J.
LeClerc
|
|
F.F.
|
T.
LaCosse
|
F.F.
|
A.
Villani
|
|
|
|
|
|
ENGINE # 4
|
(8)
|
LADDER # 1
|
(7)
|
Captain
|
J.
Pugliano
|
Captain
|
B. Falk
|
|
Lt.
|
S.
Minahan
|
Lt.
|
G.
Savaria
|
|
F.F. (D)
|
B.
Hill
|
F.F. (D)
|
R.
Loughman
|
|
F.F.
|
C.
Raschilla
|
F.F.
|
K.
Burkhead
|
|
F.F. (D)
|
J.
Reale
|
F.F.
|
M.
Mongeon
|
|
F.F.
|
J.
McCaffrey
|
F.F. (D)
|
E.
McCandlish
|
|
F.F.
|
T.
Bechard
|
F.F. (D)
|
B.
Cote
|
|
F.F.
|
J.
Coppolo
|
|
|
The Fire Department has the
following vehicles:
1- 2003 Ford Crown Vic Chief’s Vehicle (Car
# 1)
1- 2000 KME Rescue/Pumper (Engine
# 4)
1- 1998 Student Awareness of Education
(S.A.F.E.) (Fire Safety Trailer)
1- 1997 Ford Taurus Sedan Deputy Chief & Inspector’s Vehilce (Car # 2)
1- 1994 Saulsbury 1,250 G.P.M. Pumper (Engine
# 2)
1- 1988 Pierce Arrow 105’ Aerial Ladder
(Ladder #
1)
with 1,250 G.P.M. Pump
1- 1981 Pierce Arrow 1,000 G.P.M. Pumper (Engine
# 1)
1- 1978 Military ¼ ton Trailer (Light Unit # 1)
1- 1974 Maxim 1,000 G.P.M. Pumper (Engine # 3)
During 2004, the Fire
Department responded to 558 alarms:
NFRIS* Description
|
QTY
|
|
NFRIS* Description
|
QTY
|
|
Building
fire
|
8
|
|
Lock-out
|
4
|
|
Fire
in structure other than in a bldg.
|
1
|
|
Water
problem, other
|
7
|
|
Cooking
fire, confined to container
|
2
|
|
Water
evacuation
|
1
|
|
Chimney
or flue fire
|
3
|
|
Water
steam or leak
|
4
|
|
Fuel
burner/ boiler malfunction, fire confined
|
7
|
|
Steam,
other gas mistaken for smoke, other
|
2
|
|
Passenger
vehicle fire
|
7
|
|
Public
service assistance, other
|
2
|
|
Brush,
or brush and grass mixture fire
|
4
|
|
Assist
police or other governmental agency
|
7
|
|
Grass
fire
|
1
|
|
Police
matter
|
1
|
|
Outside
rubbish fire, other
|
3
|
|
Public
service
|
1
|
|
Outside
rubbish, trash or waste fire
|
3
|
|
Unauthorized
burning
|
11
|
|
Barbecue,
tar kettle
|
1
|
|
Authorized
controlled burning
|
5
|
|
Dumpster
or other outside trash fire
|
1
|
|
Cover
assignment, standby
|
17
|
|
Special
outside fire, other
|
1
|
|
Good
intent call, other
|
37
|
|
Outside
equipment fire
|
1
|
|
Dispatched
& canceled en route
|
1
|
|
Medical
assist E.M.S. Crew
|
1
|
|
Smoke
scare, odor of smoke
|
13
|
|
Lock-in
|
2
|
|
Smoke
or odor removal
|
1
|
|
Extrication,
rescue, other
|
1
|
|
False
alarm or false call, other
|
4
|
|
Sprinkler
activation due to malfunction
|
3
|
|
Malicious,
mischievous false call, other
|
2
|
|
CO
detector activation due to malfunction
|
5
|
|
Extrication
of victim(s) from vehicle
|
2
|
|
Smoke
detector activation, no fire – unintentional
|
178
|
|
Alarm
system sounded due to malfunction
|
52
|
|
Smoke
detector activation due to malfunction
|
24
|
|
Detector
activation, no fire unintentional
|
2
|
|
Unintentional
transmission of alarm, other
|
2
|
|
Heat
detector activation due to malfunction
|
4
|
|
Alarm
system sounded, no fire – unintentional
|
10
|
|
Sprinkler
activation, no fire – unintentional
|
6
|
|
Electrical
wiring / equipment problem, other
|
9
|
|
Carbon
monoxide detector activation, no CO
|
5
|
|
Gasoline
or other flammable liquid spill
|
5
|
|
Severe
weather or natural disaster standby
|
2
|
|
Oil
or other combustible liquid spill
|
6
|
|
Gas
leak (natural gas or LPG)
|
13
|
|
Power
line down
|
1
|
|
Chemical
spill or leak
|
5
|
|
Arcing,
shorted electrical equipment
|
12
|
|
Service
call, other
|
10
|
|
Bomb
scare – no bomb
|
1
|
|
Lightning
strike (no fire)
|
1
|
|
System
malfunction, other
|
4
|
|
Special
type of incident, other
|
1
|
|
Hazardous
condition, other
|
3
|
|
Citizen
complaint
|
1
|
|
Carbon
monoxide incident
|
9
|
|
Vehicle
accident, general cleanup
|
11
|
|
Steam,
vapor, fog or dust thought to be smoke
|
2
|
|
EMS
call, party transported by non-fire agency
|
1
|
|
Central
station, malicious false alarm
|
1
|
|
|
|
·
NFIRS:
National Fire Incident Reporting System
During
2004, the East Longmeadow Fire Department issued 1078 permits.
|
Permit Type
|
QTY
|
|
Permit Type
|
QTY
|
|
Fire
Alarm (New construction)
|
94
|
|
Oil
Burner
|
26
|
|
Fire
Alarm (Re-sale)
|
233
|
|
Outside
Burning
|
636
|
|
Fire
Reports
|
13
|
|
Sprinkler
System
|
8
|
|
Fixed
Extinguishing System
|
3
|
|
Tank
Installation
|
1
|
|
FP#33,
Car Fires
|
1
|
|
Tank
Removal
|
9
|
|
Gun
Powder
|
2
|
|
Tank
Truck
|
15
|
|
Heater-
Temporary
|
1
|
|
Flammable
Liquids
|
3
|
|
Liquid
Petroleum Gas
|
28
|
|
UST
Registration
|
3
|
|
Unvented
Propane Heaters
|
2
|
|
|
|
Estimated Fire Losses in
2004:
|
Building
& Contents
|
$862,791.97
|
|
Vehicle
|
$19,733.85
|
Total Loss
|
$882,525.82
|
Some
of the notable events of 2004 were:
January
25, 2004: 221 Hampden Road
A call was received from a young
neighbor reporting a fire in the house next door to his. Upon arrival there was a fire in the kitchen
and a rear attached room. The fire was
extinguished and contained to the kitchen and the wall areas.
Cause:
Faulty Chimney
February
5, 2004: 45 Fisher Avenue—WAQY – Radio
The radio personnel called in a
structure fire on the outside of the building.
Flames were visible from both the basement and first floors of the
structure. Upon arrival fire was
spreading on the exterior of the building on one side. The fire did not penetrate the walls and all the
damage was contained to the outside of the building and the electric service.
Cause:
Arson. The arsonist was apprehended and
charged
March
26, 2004: 62 Holland Drive
The homeowner called reporting
visible smoke in the kitchen. Upon
arrival there was smoke emitting from the kitchen wall. After opening the wall, the fire was
extinguished, and damaged held to a minimal.
Cause:
Electrical in the wall
May
8, 2004: 38 Hazelhurst Avenue
The caller reported his house was
on fire and occupied. Upon arrival, the
entire rear and left side of the home was fully involved with fire. The residents were all outside when we
arrived. It took several hours to
extinguish as it was an older home and fire traveled from the basement to the
attic. It was a total loss. There were no civilian injuries but there
were animals in the home that perished.
Cause:
Undetermined
June
21, 2004: 65 LaSalle Street
Caller reported the front of his
house was on fire. Upon arrival the
front porch was heavily involved in fire.
The fire was held to the front porch, front room and upper bedroom with
smoke and heat damaged throughout the structure. There were no civilian injuries but there
were pets that perished due to the heat.
Cause:
Electrical outlet
July
4, 2004: 27 Meadow Road
A neighbor called the police
reporting the house next door was on fire. Upon arrival there was fire exiting
the right rear bedroom and upper floor of the structure. The house was vacant and there were no
injuries. The damage was held to that bedroom and the one above it.
Cause:
Under investigation
September
1, 2004: Mutual Aid to Hampden:
We were requested by the Hampden
Fire Department to respond mutual aid to assist with a major complex fire –
Laughing Brook Sanctuary. The structure
was fully involved from one end to another.
We were on scene with Hampden and other mutual aid companies for hours.
Cause:
Arson---The arsonist was found and awaiting trial
September
13, 2004: 62 Millbrook Drive
A neighbor called reporting their
next-door neighbors back porch was on fire.
Upon arrival the homeowner and family were exiting the structure as it
was fully consumed by fire. The fire
started on the back deck area spreading rapidly up the outside of the building
and eventually into the house from the basement to the attic. It was a total loss. There were no civilian injuries but there
were pets that perished in the home.
Cause:
Undetermined
December
17, 2004: Mutual Aid to Springfield
We received a request for mutual
aid from Springfield to assist them in a four-alarm fire at the old American
Bosch complex in the north end of Springfield.
We were on scene with many other Towns and cities assisting Springfield
for several hours
Cause:
Under Investigation
After
working for over one year on the project, Chief Wallace received his Chief Fire
Officer Designation. He is one of only 5
Chiefs in the State and one of 372 worldwide to receive this prestigious
designation.
In
January Call Firefighter Benjamin Cote was appointed to a full time position on
our career Fire Department. We welcome
Ben to a very rewarding career.
In
April we received a Federal grant in the amount of $7,290.00. These monies were used to purchase a “Fire
Hazard House.” This house is brought to
the schools and housing for the elderly and is used as another tool to promote
and explain fire prevention measures as well as point out fire hazards in the
home.
In
May, Lieutenant Paul Morrissette graduated from a 10-week Chief Fire Officer
Training Program sponsored by the University of Mass and the Donahue Institute
focusing on firefighter management, public relations, planning and
leadership. .
We
also received another Federal grant in the amount of $10,800.00. These funds were used to purchase another
Thermal Imager. This unit is used by the
entry team to locate any possible victims, fire or any extension that cannot be
seen by the eyes of the Firefighter.
Captain
Steve Rybacki, Firefighter Edward McCandlish, our new public education
coordinator, and other S.A.F.E. members, addressed over 2200 school children
throughout the school system on fire safety, utilizing both classroom and our
mobile Fire Safety House.
Captain
Brian Falk received certification in Radiation Awareness, Introduction to
Community Emergency Response Team and Wildland Urban Interface Operations.
The
Fire Department received the Life Safety Achievement Award for the sixth year
in recognition of our work in keeping the community free of deaths from fire in
the year 2003. This award is the result of a team commitment between the
schools and this Department and the programs that are presented to the children
and seniors of the Town.
This
Department received a grant in the amount $2,500.00 from the Mass Mutual
Financial Group which was used to purchase a new mutual aid radio, drafting
hose and appliances for Engine # 1 and training material for our new recruit
class. These monies went a long way in
assisting this Department’s resources.
We received two (2) more
Automated External Defibrillators from a grant from the Commonwealth. The
entire Department is trained on the use of these units and we now have six (6)
units in service.
The
year 2004 was an exciting year for our Explorer post, which now consists of
five advisors and twelve explorers. Once
again the Explores helped at the annual Firefighters 50’s dance parking cars,
assisted with the annual “Open House”, marched in both the Memorial Day and
Fourth of July parades, and assisted with crowd control at the fireworks
display. A few members participated in
the "Relay for life” cancer walk at Springfield College. We are presently
the only active post in Western Mass.
The post traveled to New York for a bucket brigade and received the
third place trophy. I congratulate the
advisors as well as the explorers for their dedication to the cause of our
youth.
On
September 11, 2004 we held our third candle light vigil on the front lawn. It was attended by hundreds of people and was
a tribute and remembrance of the 2000 plus people whose lives were lost on the
tragic day three years ago.
In
October, we had another very successful “Open House,” with over five hundred
people in attendance. The Town residents got a chance to view our facility,
meet our Firefighters, see our apparatus and equipment, view various
demonstrations, and receive many safety handouts for the family.
After
meeting all the requirements and sending in our application, the Town was
awarded the designation of “A Heart Safe Community.” This award is given to a community that
promotes C.P.R and has trained personnel as well as has available Automated
External Defibrillators (A.E.D.’s) throughout the Town. We are only the 10th community out
of 107 in region # 1 to have this designation. We were also instrumental in
giving the Senior Center one of our A.E.D.s to keep at their location in the
event it is needed and to save valuable minutes in an emergency.
We
held our second annual boot drive for Muscular Dystrophy and collected a
regional record by a Fire Department at $8,900.00. We added another $100.00 from our Association
and presented the MDA a check in the amount of $9,000.00.
We
received an insurance grant in the amount of $1,300.00 that will be used to
give a “Hands-on” driver training class to all our drivers to enhance their
skills and further promote driver safety.
I
would like to extend my appreciation to all the Town Boards, the other Town
Departments’, their personnel and inspectors for their continued cooperation
during the past year. A special thanks to the Longmeadow, Somers, Shaker Pines,
Springfield, Hampden and Wilbraham Fire Departments for their quick and
professional assistance when called upon.
Above
all others, I would like to thank and commend the Firefighters of this
Department. It is their dedication, motivation, and professional performance
that the people of this Town should be very proud of as they continue to
maintain an outstanding Fire Department and promote a fire safe community.
Respectfully submitted, P.
Robert Wallace – Fire Chief
PLEASE REMEMBER TO CHECK YOUR SMOKE DETECTORS WEEKLY
“WORKING
SMOKE DETECTORS SAVE LIVES.”
CARBON MONOXIDE: POISONOUS-ODORLESS-COLORLESS-TASTELESS
“INSTALL
A CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR TODAY.”
