Monday, September 12, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
CLARKSBURG RESCUE DRILL FOCUSES ON FIRE ESCAPE PLAN
With the help of the Clarksburg Volunteer Fire Department,... (Gillian Jones/North Adams Transcript)Transcript Correspondent
By Susan Bush
Posted: 06/21/2011 02:28:33 AM EDT
CLARKSBURG -- A thick, smoky cloud engulfed Lyza Licht, 9, and the sounds of crackling flames and a shrill smoke alarm echoed as she crouched beneath a desk. The girl described her feelings as she waited for help: "I was like, ‘I want to be rescued,’ " Lyza said.
Lyza was one of 14 Clarksburg junior and brownie Girl Scouts who participated in Saturday’s realistic fire/rescue drill held at Robert and Sheri Goodell’s home at 822 Middle Rd. Robert Goodell is a town volunteer firefighter and Sheri Goodell is a Girl Scout volunteer. The drill was led by the Clarksburg Volunteer Fire Department. Sheri Goodell volunteers with a total of 17 scouts, she said.
The two-hour exercise focused on escape-route planning. Town Fire Chief Carlyle "Chip" Chesbro led a discussion about escape-route planning and additional safety factors. During the presentation, girls in the third, fifth and sixth grade studied floor plans and plotted three escape routes from a bedroom. Establishing multiple routes is important, Chesbro said, because flames may block hallways, doorways or other areas. If only one escape is planned and practiced, confusion may erupt if that route is blocked during an actual fire, he explained. Two planned routes utilized hallways and doors, while the third route involved climbing from a first-floor window.
During the practical sessions, each girl tackled each escape route.
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Even with the aid of firefighters and a chain ladder, many participants learned the challenges of trying to escape through a window. As part of the program, firefighters entered the fog-filled home wearing full gear including breathing equipment and oxygen masks, so that the youngsters could see what a firefighter looks like coming through a dark, dense atmosphere and familiarize themselves with the sounds of the air packs.
"You couldn’t see anything," Readsboro Vt., resident Elyssa Fink, 10, said of the experience. "You didn’t know what was going to happen next." She is the only scout not from Clarksburg.
Chesbro instructed the scouts that once they have exited a burning building, they should go immediately to a pre-arranged meeting place and remain there.
"Once you are out, you stay out," he said. "Most people who are hurt in fires are would-be rescuers, people who went back in."
At the sound of an activated smoke alarm, folks should roll out of bed, crawl on the floor to the door and use the back of a hand to check for heat. If the door is cool, slowly open it while holding onto it as a way to maintain a sense of location, Chesbro said. If it is safe, proceed to your planned and practiced escape route, he said.
"Call out for mom and dad, but keep going even if they do not answer," he said.
Some homes are equipped with safety ladders to help with an escape from upper-level windows. But what if there is no ladder or the person is too frightened to attempt an escape?
"Do not hide," Chesbro said. "Open a window and make noise, yell, scream, throw toys, anything to alert someone to your whereabouts."
Molly Wojnicki, 9, and Emily McClain, 10, said they were glad they’d participated.
"If you don’t know how to escape a fire, you could die," Molly said.
"It was a little scary, especially trying to get out the window, but if there was a real fire, I could do it," Emily said.
Sheri Goodell said that the event will help the Brownies earn a "Try-It" award and help the junior-level scouts earn a "Safety First" badge. The exercise honed a scouting motto of "courage, confidence and character," she added.
Two North Adams Ambulance Service members assisted with the drill. A machine generated the vapor-based fog and a sound effect created the burning noises.
Monday, May 23, 2011
New chief waited for his chance
Goyette, a lifelong resident of Adams, has bee a health and physical education teacher in the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District for the past 26 years. He said that he first got his start with the Alert Hose Company in 1979 as an apprentice -- then known as a sub -- because his uncle Ernest Bissaillon was a long-time member. He eventually became a full fledged volunteer firefighter when he went to college in Slippery Rock, Pa. (ADAMS -- With the retirement of Fire Chief Stephen Brown, Paul Goyette was elected to replace him earlier this week and said on Friday that he looks forward to running the Adams Fire Department.)
By Ryan Hutton
Posted: 05/21/2011 10:47:52 AM EDT
ADAMS -- With the retirement of Fire Chief Stephen Brown, Paul Goyette was elected to replace him earlier this week and said on Friday that he looks forward to running the Adams Fire Department.
Goyette, a lifelong resident of Adams, has bee a health and physical education teacher in the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District for the past 26 years. He said that he first got his start with the Alert Hose Company in 1979 as an apprentice -- then known as a sub -- because his uncle Ernest Bissaillon was a long-time member. He eventually became a full fledged volunteer firefighter when he went to college in Slippery Rock, Pa.
"I met up with a couple guys, college students, who were on the local fire department and that was the real start," he said. "Kind of like how Williamstown has college students on the fire department, that’s what we did. When I got back from school, my uncle being a member and the tradition of the Alerts was something I wanted to be a part of and give back to the community."
Goyette became a full-time member of the Alerts in March 1983 and when former Chief Stephen Brown took over 15 years ago, Goyette became his fourth assistant and an engineer with the Adams Fire District. Over the next decade and a half, Goyette rose through the ranks from firefighter to second assistant foreman to first assistant foreman and then foreman behind Brown.
"I wanted to accomplish more,"
Goyette said. "I wanted to be able to not only learn in my fire fighter role but I also wanted to start working with command. Work more with why the fire starts and the techniques to put it out. We also do much more than put out fires and I wanted to learn all of that, too. It was a progression for me."
Goyette said working with Brown was beneficial and he thanked the former chief for allowing him to learn and experiment while in the department.
"There’s no question that between [Brown] and Billy Chittenden, they really brought this department to another level," he said. "Steve is extremely meticulous and detail oriented and I hope to emulate a little bit of that on both the fire side of it and the administrate side.
"It may have made a few people upset with him through out his 15 years as chief, but it was because he did it right. He put a lot of time in down here."
Goyette said he does have a few new ideas he wants to try but added that any changes to the department are not a comment to the way Brown ran things -- he just feels that any chief wants to put his or her own stamp on a department.
"We’re going to stay status quo for a while and then ease into a few changes," he said. "Just subtle things. Nothing drastic. [Brown] set the ground rules and the standards and I agree with them. There’s some little tweaks I want to do to put my stamp on things, but not yet."
Goyette said the Adams Fire Department and Alert Hose Company are well-oiled machines, adding that the forefathers of both took the time to organize them well.
"I’m looking forward to working with the members but the bottom line is that after every call, I want everyone to go home safe," he said.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Car leaves road, sets house ablaze in Sunday accident
By Meghan Foley
Posted: 05/17/2011 01:06:35 AM EDT
North Adams Transcript
WILLIAMSTOWN -- A Pittsfield man is in stable condition after the 2002 Dodge Caravan he was driving crashed into a house on New Ashford Road (Route 7) and caught fire late Sunday night
Cli9ck to read the full story
Posted: 05/17/2011 01:06:35 AM EDT
North Adams Transcript
WILLIAMSTOWN -- A Pittsfield man is in stable condition after the 2002 Dodge Caravan he was driving crashed into a house on New Ashford Road (Route 7) and caught fire late Sunday night
Cli9ck to read the full story
Adams Finance Committee agrees to dispatch plan
By Ryan Hutton
Posted: 05/17/2011 01:07:18 AM EDT
Tuesday May 17, 2011
North Adams Transcript
ADAMS -- The Finance Committee has agreed to the Selectmen’s plan to only fund the town’s dispatchers for the first six months of the fiscal 2012 budget while providing the option to fully fund the positions if the switch to the Sheriff’s Department dispatch is not agreed upon before Jan. 1.
The committee reopened the police personnel budget after voting against it over a month ago and voted 13-1 Monday to recommend its passage. The condition attached to the vote was that the Selectmen include a Town Meeting warrant article authorizing a $100,000 free cash transfer to fund the dispatchers for a full year if all parties can’t agree on the transition to Sheriff’s dispatch.
Member Sandra Kleiner was the sole ‘no’ vote.
Prior to that, members Kleiner, Edward Driscoll and Joan Smigel voted against reopening the budget, while John Lawson and Paul Demastrie abstained since they were not present at the original vote.
Town Administrator Jonathan Butler and Selectmen Chairman Arthur Harrington presented this option to the committee so that the police department budget would be fully recommended to pass at town meeting and not risk leaving the department without funds for police officers.
"This would allow us to explore the feasibility study for regionalization while also having the budget covered in case we decide not to move in that direction," Butler said.
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"Š I’d go so far as to say that I’d be fine with a warrant article that says any one of the entities involved -- the ambulance service, the fire, the police -- has a trump card that means they can say ‘no, not this year’ after the study is complete. But I want to have the ability to do it this year if everyone agrees."
Butler said the town applied for a grant for a feasibility study into regional dispatch services and if it’s awarded, the study will be fully funded by the E911 program and should be completed in a few months.
He added that, right now, the state is pushing for regionalization of dispatch services for towns, and as a result, there is a lot of grant money available for the one-time costs associated with the switch. The study will also look at North Adams in addition to the Sheriff’s Department as a regionalization option and will recommend the best one.
Butler also said that the yearly fee the town would have to pay for dispatch services would be worked out after the feasibility study recommends a dispatch hub to the town.
If it is the Sheriff’s department, Butler said he does not imagine Adams will have to pay any more than Lanesborough -- the largest town it currently dispatches for -- which pays about $20,000 per year. Compared to the roughly $200,000 it costs annually to run the local dispatch, Butler said this is something that cannot be ignored.
Driscoll asked what would happen if five years down the line, the Sheriff’s Department raised Adams’ rate to $250,000 for one reason or another. He said that because any move away from local dispatch would likely be permanent, this could leave the town in a disadvantageous position. He said the state -- which contributes to the funds the Sheriff gets for being a regional dispatch center -- has long had a history of reneging on promises of funding for things.
"If we’re just going to assume, then the rest of the state is going to evolve, and we’re going to remain right here," Butler said. "At some point, you have to trust your government to do something or nothing is going to get done. Š If we don’t work with each other, we’re not going to find better and more cost-effective ways to do things down the road. If we just take this approach where we’re just going to build a wall around Adams, and we’re not going to try anything, it’s going to be difficult for us to create a better environment for the people who live here."
Butler added that if the Sheriff raised the rates exorbitantly, the town would still control its own police department and would have the option of contracting with another regional center, for example, North Adams.
Kleiner asked why the dispatch budget was targeted for the most drastic cut in the budget. Butler explained that it was part of the process of looking for new technologies and methods to provide similar services at a lower cost.
"If I take two employees out of the library, I can’t provide that in a different way," Butler said. "If I pull an administrative assistant out of an office at Town Hall, I can’t provide that service in a different way. If I eliminate three DPW positions, I can’t provide that service in an alternative way. But if we regionalize our dispatch, that’s providing the service in an alternate way without losing the service."
With this vote by the Finance Committee, Butler will now draft a warrant article asking for permission to borrow $100,000 to fund the dispatch for an additional six months if one of the parties involved vetoes the regionalization.
The Selectmen will then have to vote on that article -- along with all the other Town Meeting warrant articles -- at its May 25 meeting.
The Finance Committee will then vote on the articles at its June 2 meeting.
To reach Ryan Hutton,
email rhutton@thetranscript.com
Posted: 05/17/2011 01:07:18 AM EDT
Tuesday May 17, 2011
North Adams Transcript
ADAMS -- The Finance Committee has agreed to the Selectmen’s plan to only fund the town’s dispatchers for the first six months of the fiscal 2012 budget while providing the option to fully fund the positions if the switch to the Sheriff’s Department dispatch is not agreed upon before Jan. 1.
The committee reopened the police personnel budget after voting against it over a month ago and voted 13-1 Monday to recommend its passage. The condition attached to the vote was that the Selectmen include a Town Meeting warrant article authorizing a $100,000 free cash transfer to fund the dispatchers for a full year if all parties can’t agree on the transition to Sheriff’s dispatch.
Member Sandra Kleiner was the sole ‘no’ vote.
Prior to that, members Kleiner, Edward Driscoll and Joan Smigel voted against reopening the budget, while John Lawson and Paul Demastrie abstained since they were not present at the original vote.
Town Administrator Jonathan Butler and Selectmen Chairman Arthur Harrington presented this option to the committee so that the police department budget would be fully recommended to pass at town meeting and not risk leaving the department without funds for police officers.
"This would allow us to explore the feasibility study for regionalization while also having the budget covered in case we decide not to move in that direction," Butler said.
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"Š I’d go so far as to say that I’d be fine with a warrant article that says any one of the entities involved -- the ambulance service, the fire, the police -- has a trump card that means they can say ‘no, not this year’ after the study is complete. But I want to have the ability to do it this year if everyone agrees."
Butler said the town applied for a grant for a feasibility study into regional dispatch services and if it’s awarded, the study will be fully funded by the E911 program and should be completed in a few months.
He added that, right now, the state is pushing for regionalization of dispatch services for towns, and as a result, there is a lot of grant money available for the one-time costs associated with the switch. The study will also look at North Adams in addition to the Sheriff’s Department as a regionalization option and will recommend the best one.
Butler also said that the yearly fee the town would have to pay for dispatch services would be worked out after the feasibility study recommends a dispatch hub to the town.
If it is the Sheriff’s department, Butler said he does not imagine Adams will have to pay any more than Lanesborough -- the largest town it currently dispatches for -- which pays about $20,000 per year. Compared to the roughly $200,000 it costs annually to run the local dispatch, Butler said this is something that cannot be ignored.
Driscoll asked what would happen if five years down the line, the Sheriff’s Department raised Adams’ rate to $250,000 for one reason or another. He said that because any move away from local dispatch would likely be permanent, this could leave the town in a disadvantageous position. He said the state -- which contributes to the funds the Sheriff gets for being a regional dispatch center -- has long had a history of reneging on promises of funding for things.
"If we’re just going to assume, then the rest of the state is going to evolve, and we’re going to remain right here," Butler said. "At some point, you have to trust your government to do something or nothing is going to get done. Š If we don’t work with each other, we’re not going to find better and more cost-effective ways to do things down the road. If we just take this approach where we’re just going to build a wall around Adams, and we’re not going to try anything, it’s going to be difficult for us to create a better environment for the people who live here."
Butler added that if the Sheriff raised the rates exorbitantly, the town would still control its own police department and would have the option of contracting with another regional center, for example, North Adams.
Kleiner asked why the dispatch budget was targeted for the most drastic cut in the budget. Butler explained that it was part of the process of looking for new technologies and methods to provide similar services at a lower cost.
"If I take two employees out of the library, I can’t provide that in a different way," Butler said. "If I pull an administrative assistant out of an office at Town Hall, I can’t provide that service in a different way. If I eliminate three DPW positions, I can’t provide that service in an alternative way. But if we regionalize our dispatch, that’s providing the service in an alternate way without losing the service."
With this vote by the Finance Committee, Butler will now draft a warrant article asking for permission to borrow $100,000 to fund the dispatch for an additional six months if one of the parties involved vetoes the regionalization.
The Selectmen will then have to vote on that article -- along with all the other Town Meeting warrant articles -- at its May 25 meeting.
The Finance Committee will then vote on the articles at its June 2 meeting.
To reach Ryan Hutton,
email rhutton@thetranscript.com
Monday, May 2, 2011
Help Volunteer Firefighters Affected by Recent Disasters
Help Volunteer Firefighters Affected by Recent Disasters
Published Date: 04.18.2011
Devastating storms and deadly tornadoes have hit states throughout nation over the past few weeks. Wildfires continue to rage in Texas during what is one of the worst wildfire seasons in the state’s history.
When disasters like these strike, communities rely on the dedication and services of emergency responders. However, often these first responders are also victims, suffering from property damage and loss along with their communities. The National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) Volunteer Firefighter Support Fund is designed to help volunteer first responders impacted by such tragedies.
Volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel affected by state- or federally-declared disaster can apply for a stipend of $250 to help meet basic needs in the aftermath of the disaster. To receive a stipend, the first responder must be an active volunteer firefighter, rescue worker, or EMS provider, be from an NVFC member state as an individual or department member of the state association, live (or have housing) in a state- or federally-declared disaster area, and have incurred an uninsurable loss in excess of $5,000. Learn more and apply for disaster relief at www.nvfc.org/supportfund.
The Volunteer Firefighter Support Fund relies on the donations of individuals and organizations to assist volunteer first responders in need. Click here to make your contribution to the fund. The NVFC donates all administrative costs associated with managing the fund, so all donations go directly to helping volunteer first responders in need.
Established in response to the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, the Volunteer Firefighter Support Fund has to date distributed almost half a million dollars to volunteer first responders in need. Click here to learn more.
NVFC Volunteer Firefighter Support Fund
Published Date: 04.18.2011
Devastating storms and deadly tornadoes have hit states throughout nation over the past few weeks. Wildfires continue to rage in Texas during what is one of the worst wildfire seasons in the state’s history.
When disasters like these strike, communities rely on the dedication and services of emergency responders. However, often these first responders are also victims, suffering from property damage and loss along with their communities. The National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) Volunteer Firefighter Support Fund is designed to help volunteer first responders impacted by such tragedies.
Volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel affected by state- or federally-declared disaster can apply for a stipend of $250 to help meet basic needs in the aftermath of the disaster. To receive a stipend, the first responder must be an active volunteer firefighter, rescue worker, or EMS provider, be from an NVFC member state as an individual or department member of the state association, live (or have housing) in a state- or federally-declared disaster area, and have incurred an uninsurable loss in excess of $5,000. Learn more and apply for disaster relief at www.nvfc.org/supportfund.
The Volunteer Firefighter Support Fund relies on the donations of individuals and organizations to assist volunteer first responders in need. Click here to make your contribution to the fund. The NVFC donates all administrative costs associated with managing the fund, so all donations go directly to helping volunteer first responders in need.
Established in response to the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, the Volunteer Firefighter Support Fund has to date distributed almost half a million dollars to volunteer first responders in need. Click here to learn more.
NVFC Volunteer Firefighter Support Fund
Honor Your EMS Personnel During National EMS Week, May 15-21
Honor Your EMS Personnel During National EMS Week, May 15-21
Published Date: 04.26.2011
National EMS Week is May 15-21, a time for emergency service departments and communities across the country to recognize and thank EMS personnel for the lifesaving services they provide very day.
Organized by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and supported by a network of partner organizations including the National Volunteer Fire Council, EMS Week provides a great opportunity to publicize safety and honor the dedication and services of emergency medical responders. The theme this year is Everyday Heroes. A special Emergency Medical Services for Children day is set aside for May 18.
ACEP provides tools and resources for EMS Week, including a planning guide, outreach activity ideas, recognition activity ideas, information for working with the media, and more. These materials can be used throughout the year for public education and safety. Learn more and access resources at www.acep.org/emsweek.
Consider recognizing your department’s EMS personnel by nominating them for the President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA). This prestigious award honors Americans who inspire others to engage in volunteer service by their demonstrated commitment and example. The NVFC is a certifying organization for the award, which is given for hours of volunteer service contributed. To nominate a volunteer, send an email to nvfcoffice@nvfc.org that includes the person’s contact information, a detailed description of his or her service, and the number of hours volunteered. Use the subject line: PVSA Nomination. Learn more about the PVSA and requirements at www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.
Arson Awareness Week: May 1-7
Published Date: 05.02.2011
It’s Arson Awareness Week, and the National Volunteer Fire Council has joined with the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and its partners to raise awareness about arson and how to stop serial arsonists. The theme this year is Working Together to Extinguish Serial Arson. Take this week to educate your community about the value of a collaborative effort with law enforcement, fire and emergency service departments, and the community to battle serial arsonists.
“A serial arsonist can paralyze a community with fear,” said Glenn Gaines, Deputy United States Fire Administrator. “Each fire feels like a personal assault. Banding together as partners strengthens our resolve and can bring law enforcement, the fire service, and the public together to more effectively fight the crime of arson.”
The USFA provides tools and resources to help you promote Arson Awareness Week and prevent arson in your community. Visit www.usfa.fema.gov/aaw to learn more and access these resources.
For information regarding the Fire/Arson and Explosion Investigation curriculum offered at the National Fire Academy, visit www.usfa.fema.gov/nfa/.
It’s Arson Awareness Week, and the National Volunteer Fire Council has joined with the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and its partners to raise awareness about arson and how to stop serial arsonists. The theme this year is Working Together to Extinguish Serial Arson. Take this week to educate your community about the value of a collaborative effort with law enforcement, fire and emergency service departments, and the community to battle serial arsonists.
“A serial arsonist can paralyze a community with fear,” said Glenn Gaines, Deputy United States Fire Administrator. “Each fire feels like a personal assault. Banding together as partners strengthens our resolve and can bring law enforcement, the fire service, and the public together to more effectively fight the crime of arson.”
The USFA provides tools and resources to help you promote Arson Awareness Week and prevent arson in your community. Visit www.usfa.fema.gov/aaw to learn more and access these resources.
For information regarding the Fire/Arson and Explosion Investigation curriculum offered at the National Fire Academy, visit www.usfa.fema.gov/nfa/.
Monday, April 25, 2011
NC Rollover Accident Video
NC Rollover Accident Video
Check out this really effective video that recounts the rollover of a Raleigh Fire Department tractor drawn aerial on July 10, 2009. Every firefighter should watch this. It includes astonishing footage of the accident and commentary by those who were in the accident. It is a miracle these firefighters survived. It really brings home what can happen in just one instant, how important training is, and the critical need to focus on vehicle safety. Please – wear your seatbelts, slow down, check intersections, and stay safe! Click To Watch
Check out this really effective video that recounts the rollover of a Raleigh Fire Department tractor drawn aerial on July 10, 2009. Every firefighter should watch this. It includes astonishing footage of the accident and commentary by those who were in the accident. It is a miracle these firefighters survived. It really brings home what can happen in just one instant, how important training is, and the critical need to focus on vehicle safety. Please – wear your seatbelts, slow down, check intersections, and stay safe! Click To Watch
Fire funds yield electronic sign
Fire Chief Tom Francesconi, left, and Police Chief Tim Garner, right, with the Cheshire Fire Department’s new electronic sign purchased with a $665,000 SAFER grant. (Ryan Hutton/North Adams Transcript)
By Ryan Hutton
Posted: 04/23/2011 12:25:44 AM EDT
CHESHIRE -- After four years, the $665,962 federal firefighting grant Cheshire received in 2007 has finally run its course, but has left one final, lasting marker of its existence -- a sign.
Two weeks ago, the Cheshire Fire Department installed a new electronic sign outside of the fire station courtesy of the Staffing for Adequate Fire Safety & Emergency Response (SAFER) grant that the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded the town.
"I think this is going to be a real, lasting asset to our community," said Jim Pasquini, the grant’s administrator. "Knowledge is power and now the fire department has the technology to keep the community informed."
The grant ended on April 1 and the sign was the last thing purchased before it expired. Over the last four years, the grant -- which was originally intended for recruitment marketing -- has been changed by FEMA and DHS to allow the department to purchase new turnout gear for the 30 firefighters it recruited as well as for education and training purposes.
Barry Emery, the department’s technical assistant, said that in addition to recruitment notices, the sign has plenty of ancillary benefits, too.
"We used to have garden club sale notices up there for a week straight and nothing else," he said. "Now, we can set it to cycle through several different messages every few seconds if we need to. We can
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set times of day when specific messages go up and it will do it and then put back up the normal messages automatically."
Emery said the department can also set certain displays to occur every year. For example, a series of messages can be set to automatically go up for every Fire Prevention Week or at the start of burning permit season.
"When we set up a series of signs on the board, you’ll see that nine times out of 10, one of them has to do with volunteering and recruitment," Emery said. "That’s a big part of this -- it’s a marketing device."
The old sign outside of the department used interchangeable letters that took time to put up. The new sign enables the department to change the message via email so officials don’t even have to be at the station to update it.
Fire Chief Tom Francesconi said the department is no longer stuck with only a single message to the public at one time. He said the new sign can cycle through messages every few seconds and can include things like Amber alerts, missing person alerts and can even display website information such as the national weather service’s radar of North County along with storm warnings.
"It used to be that we’d have to stand out there in the cold and change the letters," Police Chief Tim Garner said. "Now, if we have road closings or school closings or any type of emergency, it’s right there on the main street through town."
"Tim is just glad he doesn’t have to be the guy to stand out there in the snow and rain to change the letters and chase them down the street when they would blow away," Francesconi added.
Because it is made up of dozens and dozens of energy-efficient LEDs, the sign only draws about as much power as a regular incandescent light bulb.
"It also has a light sensor on it so when the sun goes down, it will dim and save power because it won’t need to be as bright," Emery said. "It’s already set so that, at night, it’s just the time and temperature on a black background."
Francesconi said that even now that the SAFER grant has ended, the sign will be an excellent way to continue educating and recruiting.
"One of the big benefits I see to this is that we can keep the public educated about exactly what the fire department does," he said. "We can put up there how many calls we have each month or when we’re having a seminar or anything like that -- just keeping people informed on what the fire department or EMS are all about."
Help Volunteer Firefighters Affected by Recent Storms
Published Date: 04.18.2011
Devastating storms and deadly tornadoes hit the South and Mid Atlantic states last weekend, with more than 200 tornado reports from Mississippi to Virginia. North Carolina took an especially hard hit resulting in 22 deaths. When disasters like this strike, we must remember that the volunteer first responders the community relies on to respond are also victims. The National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) Volunteer Firefighter Support Fund is designed to help first responders impacted by such tragedies.
Volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel affected by state- or federally-declared disaster can apply for a stipend of $250 to help meet basic needs in the aftermath of the disaster. To receive a stipend, the first responder must be an active volunteer firefighter, rescue worker, or EMS provider, be from an NVFC member state as an individual or department member of the state association, live (or have housing) in a state- or federally-declared disaster area, and have incurred an uninsurable loss in excess of $5,000. Learn more and apply for disaster relief at www.nvfc.org/supportfund.
The Volunteer Firefighter Support Fund relies on the donations of individuals and organizations to assist volunteer first responders in need. Click here to make your contribution to the fund. The NVFC donates all administrative costs associated with managing the fund, so all donations go directly to helping volunteer first responders in need.
Established in response to the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, the Volunteer Firefighter Support Fund has to date distributed almost half a million dollars to volunteer first responders in need. Click here to learn more.
Devastating storms and deadly tornadoes hit the South and Mid Atlantic states last weekend, with more than 200 tornado reports from Mississippi to Virginia. North Carolina took an especially hard hit resulting in 22 deaths. When disasters like this strike, we must remember that the volunteer first responders the community relies on to respond are also victims. The National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) Volunteer Firefighter Support Fund is designed to help first responders impacted by such tragedies.
Volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel affected by state- or federally-declared disaster can apply for a stipend of $250 to help meet basic needs in the aftermath of the disaster. To receive a stipend, the first responder must be an active volunteer firefighter, rescue worker, or EMS provider, be from an NVFC member state as an individual or department member of the state association, live (or have housing) in a state- or federally-declared disaster area, and have incurred an uninsurable loss in excess of $5,000. Learn more and apply for disaster relief at www.nvfc.org/supportfund.
The Volunteer Firefighter Support Fund relies on the donations of individuals and organizations to assist volunteer first responders in need. Click here to make your contribution to the fund. The NVFC donates all administrative costs associated with managing the fund, so all donations go directly to helping volunteer first responders in need.
Established in response to the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, the Volunteer Firefighter Support Fund has to date distributed almost half a million dollars to volunteer first responders in need. Click here to learn more.
Get Battery Donations through the Power Those Who Those Protect Us Program
Get Battery Donations through the Power Those Who Those Protect Us Program
Published Date: 04.18.2011
Did you know that your volunteer or mostly volunteer (at least 50%) fire department is eligible to participate in the Power Those Who Protect Us program? Power Those Who Protect Us is a battery donation program designed to help support the more than 23,000 volunteer fire departments in the U.S. Beginning in February 2011, anytime that specially-marked Duracell CopperTop battery packs are purchased, a battery donation will be made to volunteer fire departments across the country to help power life-saving equipment and communication devices. Duracell has committed a minimum donation of 20 million batteries through the program.
Consumers can further the battery donation to their local department by going online to www.duracell.com/protect and entering the code located within the packaging of their specially-marked Duracell battery purchase. Then they can use their zip code to select their local department to specify that the donation from their purchase will go to that department. It is important to verify that your department is participating in the program to make sure consumers can increase the number of batteries you will receive.
Prior to the program’s launch in February, a preliminary list of qualifying departments was obtained and each of those departments received a canister from Duracell in the mail with instructions for participation as well as marketing materials for promoting to their communities how they can specify donations to the department. If your department qualifies for the program but you have not received information in the mail from Duracell, or if you have found that your department is not available at www.duracell.com/protect, you can simply send an email to duracellfire@gmail.com with your department’s contact information and let them know that you would like to participate.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Adams dispatchers give their take on closure debate
Adams dispatchers Tony Piscioneri, left, and John Panseczhi... (Ryan Hutton/North Adams Transcript)
By Ryan Hutton
Posted: 04/20/2011 12:42:00 AM EDT
Wednesday April 20, 2011
North Adams Transcript
ADAMS -- The Selectmen and Finance Committee have come down on opposite sides of whether to close the local emergency dispatch center and contract with the Berkshire County Sheriff’s Department for the service, but what do the Adams dispatchers have to say on the matter?
With the Selectmen voting for the change to go before Town Meeting and the Finance Committee deciding not to recommend it, dispatchers Anthony Piscioneri and John Panseczhi took some time Tuesday to give their thoughts before Town Meeting votes on the move this summer.
"We’re a small town. We deal with the same people almost everyday," Panseczhi said. "We know family medical histories. We know if an older person has been taken to the hospital four times for a heart attack. That’s information to pass on to the ambulance service, and we can do it without quizzing a panicked family member when they call."
Panseczhi said it is important for emergency personnel to stay concentrated on a major incident when it is occurring. Because Adams is a small town, he said, dispatchers usually have only minor calls coming in during a major accident, fire or arrest.
"We don’t have three major incidences going on all at once -- one in South County, one in North County and one in Pittsfield," he said. "We don’t have to tell a fire chief to hold on at the scene of a fire while we take another call. Š That’s not
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saying anything against the Sheriff’s dispatchers. I’ve got a lot of respect for them and the job they do, but they’re already dispatching for 23 communities."
Piscioneri said that all three full-time dispatchers -- Piscioneri, Panseczhi and Tom Romaniak -- are members of the Alert Hose Company and work closely with the police department since the dispatchers are based in the station.
He said they can save an incident commander time by calling the electric company or gas company in the event of a fire or car accident in-between radio calls -- allowing the person in charge on the scene to concentrate on making sure a fire is put out safely or a person is removed from a wreck carefully.
"Do the Sheriff’s dispatchers know that a few houses down from the DPW garage is a little, barely paved road called Evens Street?" Panseczhi said. "It goes to a single house where the Norcross family lives. That’s the stuff we know."
"We have Summit Street, Summit Lane, Summit Avenue in town," Piscioneri added. "We know the difference between all of them."
Piscioneri said having that personal knowledge of the town and its people also comes in handy when discerning how urgently emergency services need to respond to a call. For example, he said, they may get a call from someone threatening to harm themselves, but they know the person has a few issues and has made threats like this before.
"That doesn’t mean you dismiss them, but maybe you talk to them for a couple minutes, and that’s all they needed," Piscioneri said. "If you know them and their history and they just wanted someone to talk to and say ‘I’m OK now’ and hang up, that saved an officer’s time on the streets.
"It all goes back to the question of ‘can you put a price tag on knowing your town and your people?’ "
The town has estimated that closing the local dispatch center could save close to $200,000 per year with a price tag of roughly $20,000 for contracting with the Berkshire County Sheriff’s dispatch. No details have been worked out on whether that number will increase over the years or if the Alert House Company and Adams Ambulance Service will have to pay additional dispatching fees since they are separate entities with "handshake agreements" with the police for dispatch services.
Last Thursday, the Finance Committee wanted more details on an arrangement with the Sheriff before recommending it to town meeting.
Piscioneri and Panseczhi said that they agree with the Finance Committee.
"When they proposed eliminating the dispatchers two years ago and it didn’t go, the town should have formed a committee to sit down and discuss this then," Panseczhi said. "They should have gotten the police chief, the fire chief and the head of the ambulance service, the DPW and forest warden to sit down, meet regularly and work it out."
To reach Ryan Hutton,
email rhutton@thetranscript.com.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Hinsdale Fire Dept. Adds New Equipment
Monday, January 03, 2011
(Courtesy Of iberkshire News.com)
Photos: Steve Suriner, HVFD
The Brush/Quick Attack pumper can negotiate narrow roads and long driveways.
HINSDALE, Mass. — The Hinsdale Volunteer Fire Department recently acquired a new Brush/Quick Attack pumper manufactured on a Ford F-550 chassis. Miscellaneous firefighting equipment has been placed on the vehicle, and after initial training the vehicle was placed in service.
The new truck replaces a 27-year-old surplus pickup truck that had been converted for use as a brush truck and was becoming a serious maintenance problem, said Chief Larry Turner.
“The key thing about the new truck," Turner said, “is that this vehicle was designed by members to be used for brush fires but also is geared for use as a quick-attack pumper that can negotiate narrow roads and long driveways.” The chief added that the versatility of the four-wheel-drive vehicle will allow the firefighters to get water on structure fires in hard-to-reach areas much faster than with a larger, conventionally sized engine.
Additionally, this apparatus will also serve as a support piece for operations at vehicle accident and extrication incidents.
A donated 12-year-old Chevy Suburban recently was reconditioned for department use.
The truck was funded by a Homeland Security-Assistance to Firefighters grant that paid 95 percent of the total cost of $125,000. The remaining 5 percent was paid for by a federal matching grant requirement supplied by the town of Hinsdale.
The department also recently replaced its command vehicle, a 25-year-old Army surplus conversion, with a donated 12-year-old Chevrolet Suburban. Several department members invested in excess of 100 man-hours reconditioning the mechanical and interior parts of the Suburban as well as transferring key emergency lights, radios and equipment to their proper placement.
Dalton Auto Body completed some much-needed rust repair and then painted the exterior to match the department’s standard color scheme. This vehicle is not only used as a command center at major incidents, but serves as a manpower shuttle and support piece on auto accident and ambulance calls.
No public funding was involved in the $3,000 cost to place this vehicle in service. All funds were provided through the Hinsdale Volunteer Firemen’s Association.
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