ANNUAL TOWN REPORT
FIRE DEPARTMENT
I
herewith submit the Annual Report of the Fire Department for the year ending
December 31, 2005.
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
Call Deputy Chief and Deputy Forest Warden
Stephen N. Rybacki
ENGINE # 1
|
(7)
|
ENGINE # 2
|
(7)
|
Captain
|
D.
Villamaino
|
Captain
|
R. Brady
|
|
Lt.
|
F.
Santaniello
|
Lt.
|
P.
Morrissette
|
|
F.F.
|
C.
Higgins
|
F.F.
(D)
|
B.
Minahan
|
|
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.
|
A.
Gentile
|
|
F.F.
(D)
|
J. Reale
|
F.F.
|
K.
Burkhead
|
|
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)
During
2005, the Fire Department responded to 550 alarms:
NFRIS*
Description
|
QTY
|
|
NFRIS* Description
|
QTY
|
|
Building
fire
|
2
|
|
Lock-out
|
4
|
|
Trash or
rubbish fire, contained
|
1
|
|
Lock-in
|
5
|
|
Cooking
fire, confined to container
|
5
|
|
Water
problem, other
|
16
|
|
Chimney
or flue fire
|
6
|
|
Water
evacuation
|
15
|
|
Fuel
burner fire/ boiler malfunction
|
3
|
|
Water
steam or leak
|
2
|
|
Passenger
vehicle fire
|
8
|
|
Assist
police or other agency
|
8
|
|
Mobile
property fire, lawnmower
|
2
|
|
Public
service assistance, other
|
7
|
|
Brush, or
brush and grass mixture fire
|
6
|
|
Public
service
|
10
|
|
Grass
fire
|
4
|
|
Cover
assignment, standby
|
13
|
|
Outside
mailbox fire
|
1
|
|
Good
intent call, other
|
39
|
|
Outside
rubbish, trash or waste fire
|
1
|
|
Unauthorized
burning
|
11
|
|
Barbecue,
tar kettle
|
1
|
|
Authorized
controlled burning
|
2
|
|
Dumpster
or other outside trash fire
|
1
|
|
Smoke
scare, odor of smoke
|
12
|
|
Medical
assist E.M.S. crew
|
4
|
|
False
alarm or false call, other
|
2
|
|
EMS call,
party transported by non-fire agency
|
2
|
|
Malicious,
mischievous false call, other
|
1
|
|
EMS call,
excluding vehicle accident with injury
|
1
|
|
Electrical
wiring / equipment problem, other
|
20
|
|
Vehicle
accident with injuries
|
1
|
|
Overheated
motor
|
1
|
|
Extrication
of victim(s) from vehicle
|
1
|
|
Light
ballast breakdown
|
3
|
|
Vehicle
accident, general cleanup
|
7
|
|
Power
line down
|
7
|
|
Gasoline
or other flammable liquid spill
|
7
|
|
Arcing,
shorted electrical equipment
|
8
|
|
Oil or
other combustible liquid spill
|
6
|
|
Gas leak
(natural gas or LPG)
|
10
|
|
Sprinkler
activation due to malfunction
|
7
|
|
Chemical
spill or leak
|
2
|
|
CO
detector activation due to malfunction
|
9
|
|
Alarm
system sounded due to malfunction
|
25
|
|
Smoke
detector activation, no fire – unintentional
|
166
|
|
Detector
activation, no fire unintentional
|
1
|
|
Smoke
detector activation due to malfunction
|
13
|
|
Heat
detector activation due to malfunction
|
1
|
|
Alarm
system sounded, no fire – unintentional
|
22
|
|
Sprinkler
activation, no fire – unintentional
|
10
|
|
System
malfunction, other
|
1
|
|
Service
call, other
|
7
|
|
Building
weakened or collapsed
|
1
|
|
Animal
rescue
|
1
|
|
Carbon
monoxide incident
|
5
|
|
Citizen
complaint
|
1
|
|
Carbon
monoxide detector activation, no CO
|
12
|
|
|
|
á
NFIRS: National Fire Incident Reporting
System
During
2005, the East Longmeadow Fire Department issued 1122 permits.
|
Permit
Type
|
QTY
|
|
Permit
Type
|
QTY
|
|
Fire
Alarm (New construction)
|
127
|
|
Oil
Burner
|
42
|
|
Fire
Alarm (Re-sale)
|
244
|
|
Outside
Burning
|
635
|
|
Fire
Reports
|
8
|
|
Sprinkler
System
|
9
|
|
Fixed
Extinguishing System
|
4
|
|
Tank
Installation
|
0
|
|
FP#33,
Car Fires
|
0
|
|
Tank
Removal
|
17
|
|
Gun
Powder
|
2
|
|
Tank Truck
|
1
|
|
Heater-
Temporary
|
2
|
|
Flammable
Liquids
|
0
|
|
Liquid
Petroleum Gas
|
26
|
|
UST
Registration
|
4
|
|
Unvented
Propane Heaters
|
0
|
|
|
|
Estimated
Fire Losses in 2005:
|
Building
& Contents
|
No
Information
|
|
Vehicle
|
No
Information
|
Total Loss
|
No
Information
|
Some
of the notable events of 2005 were:
We had a
relatively 'Quiet' year as far as structure fires are related.
OCTOBER 14 – 17,
2005: TOWN WIDE FLOODING
Definitely
one of the worst rainstorms in decades to hit this area flooded many homes in
the Town. We responded to over 100 homes over a period of three days, mostly
the first two days, to find water ranging from 1 inch to 3 feet in basements.
The damage was in the thousands of dollars, and most of the damage was not
covered by insurance. I want to commend our Firefighters that spent endless
hours aiding others while a majority of these Firefighters had water damage in
their own homes and had to face that after they took care of others. They did
an outstanding job during this emergency.
DECEMBER 23, 2005: 314 ELM
STREET
Upon arrival there was a
detached construction garage fully involved in fire. The fire was extinguished
in about twenty minutes with no exposure damage and everything contained to
just the one structure.
Cause:
Welding operations igniting flammable liquids.
In August
we received a Federal grant in the amount of $106,320.00. These monies were
used to purchase twenty-seven new Scott air packs. These packs replaced units
that were up to twenty-three years old. These air packs contain purified compressed
air (NOT Oxygen) for the Firefighters to wear in any hazardous atmosphere. Had
it not been for this grant, we would have had to ask the taxpayers for these
funds over the next several years.
In May,
Lieutenant Paul Morrissette and East Longmeadow Police Officer Joe Barone
completed a 96 hour course in Basic and Advanced fire investigation. With this
new joint investigation team, we will enhance our investigation of all fires
and any susupious fire activities.
Captain Steve Rybacki,
Firefighter Edward McCandlish, our new public education coordinator, and other
S.A.F.E. members, addressed over 1500 school children throughout the school
system on fire safety, utilizing classroom instruction, our fire hazard house,
and our mobile Fire Safety House. The more fire education we teach the
students, the safer their homes will become.
'Sparky'
the fire dog, a mechanical robot that we use in our fire prevention programs in
the schools as well as during our annual open house, was donated by Prospect
Builders. This interaction robot will enhance our program and the donation is
greatly appreciated.
The Fire
Department received the Life Safety Achievement Award for the seventh year in
recognition of our work in keeping the community free of deaths from fire in
the year 2004. 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. We have not decided how this money will be best spent, but it
will go towards more life saving equipment for the Department. We thank Mass
Mutual very much for their continued support of the Department.
In 2005, Explorer Post 525 received awards from the local
Boy Scout Council and the National Council, for Exploring Excellence. In order
to qualify for the award an Explorer Post must meet a total of eight
requirements, some of which are as follows,
A Memorandum of Agreement
with the Sponsoring Organization
¯
Trained
Leadership – As a coed Post, two-deep Leadership & Women Advisors
Elected Youth Officers
¯
Super
activity – Major Trip, Activity, or Project with Advance Planning
¯
Post Program
– Minimum of two meetings per month & Pre-Planned Training Calendar
¯
Service
Project – Annual Service Project with the Sponsoring Organization
Firstnighter's Night or Other Effort to recruit more Youth
¯
Participation
– Renewing the Program with Equal or More Youth
¯
Post
Committee – An Active Post Committee of at Least Three Volunteers
On-Time Renewal – Of the Post Charter
¯
Value-Added
Services – Complete any three listed services such as
Participate in at least one Council or District Exploring
Event
During 2005 the Post changed in leadership and membership. Captain
Brian Falk became the new Head Advisor. Explorer Captain Liam Edson left the
Post upon turning 21. The Post Advisors are compiling/updating a promotional
test to fill the officers slot. Unfortunately, the Post also lost three other
members and one of its female advisors due to outside responsibilities.
Changes
within the Post occur each year throughout the year. This is why the Post tries
to maintain a waiting list. We are always looking for youth members as well as
adults interested in become leaders.
The list is
our best way to maintain interest in the Post, as we are limited by the
availability of firefighter protective clothing, as well as a place to properly
store the equipment once issued. We would like to obtain separate storage racking
for Post issued equipment as well as new helmets of a different color.
The change
in helmets would allow fire department officers, to tell the difference between
Post members and members of the Fire Department. This is an important step
toward the possible future use of members of the Post on exterior firefighting
duties.
During the
past year Post Members have been exposed to other types of firefighting through
visits to outside firefighting agencies. Wildland firefighting through the
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management (State Forestry), aircraft
firefighting through the Westover Air Force Base Fire Department, communication
& dispatching through the Springfield Fire Department Fire Alarm Division.
During the
year Post members participated in fire extinguisher training held at the
Springfield Fire Departments Training Center and climbed this departments
aerial ladder as part of their training. All training is based upon the current
edition of IFSTA Firefighting Essentials program. As an active Post we are
currently finalizing the training schedule, both dates and subjects, for 2006.
Captain
Brian Falk attended the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, MD for (two),
one-week courses. All Hazards-Preparation & response and All Hazards-Recovery
& Mitigation. He also became a WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction)
instructor.
Firefighter
Ed McCandlish, who is our Fire Educator, completed a forty-hour fire safety
course and became certified as a Public Fire and Life Safety Educator. This will
enhance our already very successful fire education curriculum that we teach
throughout the year.
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 and participate in the 'CHIPS'
program. This program (Child Identification) allows the children to be
fingerprinted, DNA taken and a video of them to be taken home by their parents
in the vent of an incident.
We
held our third annual boot drive for Muscular Dystrophy and collected a record
amount of money for a Fire Department drive: $8,900.00. We added
another $100.00 from our Association and presented the MDA a check in the
amount of $9,000.00.
All our
qualified apparatus drivers completed a National Safety Council driver-training
course that enhanced their skills and further promote driver safety.
Deputy
Chief Steve Rybacki for the past several years has coordinated with Mercy
Hospital, a Town-wide blood drive. There have been more than 345 pints
collected at these drives. Because of the success of these blood drives, the
blood mobile is at our station six times per year.
All our
Firefighters have received training and completed the National Management
System (IS-00700 NIMS). This is a requirement by the Federal Government, the
Emergency Management Institute, and Homeland Security.
This
Department donated a complete Oxygen unit to the senior center. This unit will
give life saving moments to anyone in need while awaiting medical aid.
Due to
budget constraints, Firefighter Benjamin Cote was laid off on June 30, 2005.
After a Town meeting and transfer of funds we were fortunate to rehire Ben in
August after eight weeks of being laid off.
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.'
'The Sound Of Life'
CARBON MONOXIDE:
POISONOUS-ODORLESS-COLORLESS-TASTELESS
'INSTALL
A CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR TODAY.'
