Spring Street Fire:"A Business Owner's Worst Nightmare"

By Susan Bush - March 29, 2007


Williamstown Fire Chief Craig Pedercini
Williamstown - This morning's pre-dawn Spring Street fire is under investigation and has closed a trio of popular business indefinitely.

Town Fire Chief Craig Pedercini said that no cause has yet been determined for the fire that is believed to have started in a basement beneath the Perfect Blend coffee shop. The building, which also houses a Subway sandwich shop and the Purple Pub on Bank Street, is owned by Paresky family and is managed by Mark Paresky.

Purple Pub, Subway, Perfect Blend Closed

Town police Officer Joe Ross discovered the fire at about 3:38 a.m. while on patrol, said Pedercini. The town fire department was called to battle the blaze and about 10 minutes later, firefighters from the Pownal Protective Fire Association in Pownal, Vt.and the Clarksburg
Volunteer Fire department were called to the scene. The Clarksburg
department was called specifically for its RIT capabilities. RIT is a specially-trained firefighter unit that specializes in firefighter rescue.



Police tape bars access to a Spring Street building burned during a March 29 fire.
A subsequent decision brought Adams firefighters to the scene with a truck capable of refilling firefighter breathing equipment.

"[Purple Pub, Subway, Perfect Blend] are closed indefinitely," said Pedercini. "We're waiting for the building inspector, who will have to see what's going on in the [Subway and Purple Pub] buildings. The structure under the coffee shop is just about burned away. The heavy part of the fire was underneath the [coffee shop]."

Town Health Inspector Jeffrey Kennedy said he completed a preliminary inspection of the businesses' food service capabilities and agreed that the businesses will be closed for the immediate future and possibly beyond, depending on subsequent inspections.

"A Tough Fire"

Pedercini reported no firefighter injuries during the blaze.

"It was a tough fire," he said. "It was in the basement and that's where we encountered the heavy fire. Once we realized that's where all the fire was, we changed our tactics a little bit. We cut vent holes in the floor to let some of the smoke and heat escape."

Pedercini said firefighters brought the blaze under control at about 5:30 a.m..

Purple Pub owner Mary Michel and pub manager Liz Chesbro were at the scene during the mid-morning.

"Devastating"

"This is devastating, it's a business owner's worst nightmare," said Michel, who has operated the pub from the same location for 34 years.

"I have no idea when we can reopen."

The pub interior does not appear to be severely damaged, she noted.
Michel said that she was notified of the fire by an employee who'd been contacted by her father about the fire.

Firefighters and police would not be expected to notify business owners of the blaze, Michael said and added "They were doing what they should be doing; fighting the fire."

Michel said that pub employees ceased daily operations at about 12:30 a.m. and noticed nothing out of the ordinary at that time. Ross should be credited for his police investigation into the smell of smoke some three hours later, she said.

"He's the one that saved the building," Michel said.

Building damage estimates had not been calculated, Pedercini said.

Michel said that the costs to the businesses will be high. All three business will lose revenue for every day they are closed, and employees will lose their daily wages.

Pedercini said the building was insured and Michel said her business is also insured. Pedercini said he believes the coffee shop and the Subway shop also carried insurance.

Two state fire investigators were at the fire scene this morning.

Additional information about the Spring Street fire may be found at www.iberkshires.com/story.php?story_id=22721

Susan Bush may be reached via e-mail at suebush@iberkshires.com or 413-663-3384 ext. 29.

New MEMA Courses being offered

The following new courses have been added to the Massachusetts
Emergency Management Agency's training calendar:

Incident Command System 100 at Pepperell Senior Center on April
10, 2007

Incident Command System 200 at Buckland Police Station on April 10,
2007

Incident Command System 200 at Adams Fire Department on April 21, 2007

Incident Command System 200 at Pepperell Fire Station on April 28, 2007

Incident Command System 300 at Malden Police on April 9, 2007

Incident Command System 300 at Lanesborough Fire Station on May 15,
2007

Incident Command System 300 at MEMA Region III HQ on June 19, 2007

Incident Command System 300 at Cummington Town Hall on July 17, 2007

Incident Command System 400 at VTA Authority on April 28, 2007

NIMS-700/ICS-100 at Belmont Fire on April 26, 2007

NIMS-700/ICS-100 at Ma-Task Force 1 on May 17, 2007

National Fire Academy (NFA) Training Opportunities

(current as of March 8, 2007)

Vacancies exist in the following NFA courses at the National Emergency
Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland. You may refer to the Internet
at www.usfa.dhs.gov/nfa for more information, or contact the Admissions
Office via e-mail netc-admissions@dhs.gov or by phone at (301)
447-1035.
Completed applications may be faxed to (301) 447-1441. If interested,
apply immediately!

Note: The NFA policy of only one stipend-supported trip per fiscal
year
remains. However, a qualified individual may seek to participate
without stipend assistance. PLEASE INDICATE with your application that
you are aware of this restriction when you apply for the course.

All vacancies are filled on a first-come, first-served basis and
qualified by using the Student Selection Criteria listed on our Web
site: www.usfa.dhs.gov/nfa

R108 Evaluating Performance-Based Designs
8/5-8/10/07 5 vacancies

R114 Fire Service Course Design
8/6-8/17/07 8 vacancies

R152 Emergency Medical Services: Special Operations
4/16-4/27/07 7 vacancies

R203 Fire Dynamics-Fire Modeling
7/9-7/20/07 3 vacancies
9/24-10/5/07 6 vacancies

R220 Fire Inspection Principles
9/10-9/21/07 3 vacancies

R222 Principles of Fire Protection Structures & Systems
9/24-10/5/07 16 vacancies

R225 Management of Fire Prevention Programs
8/6-8/17/07 4 vacancies

R227 Fire Protection Systems For Emergency Operations
4/29-5/4/07 8 vacancies

R243 Hazardous Materials Incident Management
9/16-9/21/07 3 vacancies

R247 Advanced Life Support Response to Hazardous Materials Incidents
9/24-10/5/07 12 vacancies

R314 Command & Control of Fire Department Operations at Target
Hazards
6/10-6/15/07 11 vacancies

R362 Developing Fire & Life Safety Strategies
8/19-8/24/07 5 vacancies

R628 Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Specialist
6/10-6/15/07 24 vacancies


VOLUNTEER INCENTIVE PROGRAM


R815 VIP: Challenges for Local Training Officers
9/9-9/14/07 12 vacancies

R831 VIP: Command & Control of Incident Operations
9/9-9/14/07 7 vacancies


Wait list opportunities exist in second semester offerings of the
following courses:

R102 Plans Review for Inspectors
6/11 - 22/07
7/23 - 8/3/07
8/6 - 17/07

R107 Fire Service Communication
8/6 - 17/07

R116 Presenting Effective Public Education Programs
7/22 - 27/07

R150 Management of Emergency Medical Services
6/18 - 29/07
9/24 - 10/5/07

R208 Interview-Interrogation Techniques and Courtroom Testimony
4/30 - 5/11/07
6/18 - 6/29/07
8/6 - 17/07

R229 Hazardous Materials Operating Site Practices
8/6 - 17/07

R233 Chemistry for Emergency Response
4/30 - 5/11/07
7/23 - 9/3/07

R331 Organizational Theory in Practice
7/23 - 8/3/07

R333 Fire Service Financial Mgmt
7/23 - 8/3/07

R342 Training Program Management
5/21 - 6/1/07

R348 Changing American Family at Risk
9/16 - 21/07

Call/Volunteer Firefighter Training Program Class #14 Graduation

Photo courtesy of the Massachusetts Fire Academy:

-- Great Barrington,Mass
Recruit Firefighters Graduate From Call/volunteer firefighter training program

State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan and Massachusetts Firefighting Academy (MFA) Deputy Director Richard Farrar presented certificates of completion to members of the Call/Volunteer Firefighter Training class #14 in a graduation ceremony at 7:30 p.m. on March 1, 2007. The recruit graduation took place at the Mahaiwe Theatre, 14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA.

The Call/Volunteer Firefighter Training program is unique in that it delivers a standard recruit training curriculum, meeting national standards, on nights and weekends to accommodate the schedule of firefighters in suburban and rural areas. Bringing the training closer to the firefighters often means more firefighters can participate. This program was held at the Great Barrington Fire Department. The Fire Chiefs’ Association of Massachusetts persuaded the Legislature to financially support this innovative delivery of off-site training.

The twenty-two graduates, twenty men and two women, represent the ten fire departments of: Alford, Cheshire, Egremont, Great Barrington, Monterey, New Marlborough, Richmond, Sheffield, Tyringham, and Wilbraham.

Today’s Fire Department Does Much More than Fight Fires

Today’s firefighters do far more than fight fires. They are the first ones called to respond to chemical and environmental emergencies ranging from the suspected presence of carbon monoxide to a gas leak. They may be called to rescue a child who has fallen through the ice or who has locked himself in a bathroom. They rescue people from stalled elevators and those who are trapped in vehicle accidents. They test and maintain their equipment, ranging from self-contained breathing apparatus to hydrants, hoses, power tools, and apparatus.

In this Massachusetts Firefighting Academy program, they learn all these skills and more from certified fire instructors who are also experienced firefighters. Students learn all the basic skills they need to respond to fires and to contain and control them. They are also given training in public fire education, incident command, hazardous material incident mitigation, flammable liquids, self-contained breathing apparatus, stress management, water rescue procedures, confined space rescue techniques, and rappelling. The intensive program includes classroom instruction, physical fitness training, firefighter skills training and live firefighting practice. Graduates have completed 180 hours of training on nights and weekends

Basic Firefighter Skills

Students receive classroom training in all basic firefighter skills. They practice first under non-fire conditions and then during controlled fire conditions. To graduate, students must demonstrate proficiency in life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation, and fire attack. Fire attack operations range from mailbox fires to multiple-floor or multiple room structural fires. Upon successful completion of the Call/Volunteer Firefighter Training program, these firefighters are now be eligible to take an examination for certification to the level of Firefighter I or II by the Massachusetts Fire Training Council.
Congratulations Class #14