Region 5 Meeting

The next Region 5 Meeting will be held. On Thursday, November 15th at 7pm at the Dalton Fire Department, Dalton, Mass. Following the meeting there will be a special presentation. Refreshments will be available.
If your planning on attending the meeting. Please call the MCVFA Office 1.800.551.3473
or email me at vpregion5@gmail.com

Massachusetts Fallen Firefighters Memorial Hours

We are pleased to announce that the Massachusetts Fallen Firefighters Memorial

will be open on the following Saturdays:

November 10th

November 17th



9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Ashburton Park

Massachusetts State House

* Rain or Shine *



We are pleased to offer this special opportunity to accommodate those who may not be able to visit the Memorial during normal Ashburton Park hours of operation, Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Memorial is located on State House grounds and therefore only open during normal State House hours of operation. The Memorial plans to open the park on select weekends in the fall and spring.

For more information please visit www.mafirememorial.org or call toll free (888) ASK FIRE.

Local Man Receives State Police Promotion

- October 15, 2007


(iberkshire.com)
NORTH ADAMS - A city man has been promoted to the rank of lieutenant in the Massachusetts State Police.

William C. Blackmer Jr., a 20-year veteran of the force, was among 44 other troopers and officers receiving promotions in a ceremony at State Police Headquarters in Framingham on Thursday.

The new lieutenant is currently assigned to Troop B Headquarters in Northampton. Troop B is comprised of 86 cities and towns covering an area of nearly 2,500 square miles in Berkshire, Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties. He was previously assigned to the Shelburne Falls and Cheshire barracks.

"It is now time to put all of the knowledge and years of experience into action," Col. Mark F. Delaney, superintendent of the state police, told the newly promoted officers. "You chose to be a leader. You elected to take on the responsibility of command. The right decision is often times not the most popular, but a true leader must act in the best interest of the department and the public we serve."

Blackmer is a 1975 graduate of Northampton High School and has bachelor's and master's degrees in criminal justice from Westfield State College.

MCVFA ANNUAL STATE MEETING ***

Our next State Meeting will be held on Saturday, November 3, 2007 at
10:00am at the Holiday Inn in Taunton (Exit 9 off Rt. 495).

Our Guest Speaker will be Brad Preston from VFIS-SNE.

Elections will be held for President, Secretary and Trustee At Large along
with a vote for 2008 Dues.

It is very important to RSVP 1 (800) 551-3473 with the number from your
department attending so we have an accurate headcount for the luncheon
at $5.00 per person. Also, check our web site (mcvfa.org) for other
important and updated information about your region and the association.

Larry Holmberg, President, MCVFA

2007 Village Ambulance Service Food Drive for Williamstown Food Pantry

Village Ambulance Service, in partnership with the Williamstown Food Pantry,
is preparing to launch our 2007 Food Drive. The mission of the food drive is
to mobilize resources to fight hunger in our community and, thanks to your
help in 2006, we were able to chip away at this ever-growing epidemic. Over
400 lbs of non-perishable food items was collected in 2006, most of which
came from people like you and me donating a couple cans of vegetables or a
few boxes of cereal. It doesn't take much.
attached flier
If you would print out the attached flier and hang it in your respective
places of business, it would be greatly appreciated. We are setting an even
higher goal of 500 lbs of food this year, so any donation, large or small,
will certainly help.

In addition to non-perishable food items, we are also collecting grocery
store gifts cards. For some, this might make the ability to donate much
easier. Again, any donation, large or small, will make a difference.

Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions and thanks for your
support!

Best regards,

Shawn P. Godfrey
Operations Manager
Village Ambulance Service
30 Water Street
Williamstown, MA 01267
Business: 413-458-4889
Cell: 413-884-5729

Lenox fire chief gets top state honor

By Jenn Smith, Berkshire Eagle Staff
Article Last Updated: 10/05/2007 11:24:57 AM EDT


Friday, October 05
LENOX — There's no question that law enforcers and emergency responders are heroes. For every life saved and for all the preventative efforts made, every one of those men and women deserve recognition.
But yesterday was Dan Clifford's day to shine.

The Lenox fire chief and emergency management director was named the 2007 Massachusetts Emergency Manager of the Year.

"I'm overwhelmed," said Clifford, who was honored during a training session in Agawam yesterday morning.

Emergency management in New England is a partnership. Clifford's plaque was awarded through the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the Northeast States Emergency Consortium.

According to MEMA coordinators, each state in the consortium, which includes all of New England plus New York and New Jersey, nominate an emergency manager for the award each year. Clifford was chosen as the top nominee among all of them.

An announcement through MEMA headquarters in Framingham credited Clifford for his work with his Local Emergency Planning Committee (Central Berkshire), his contributions to creating comprehensive emergency planning documents and specifically for his



effort and leadership in responding to a December 2006 ice storm that hit the Lenox area.
"He's kind of a one-man show up there in Lenox," according to a spokesman for MEMA Regions 3 and 4. "He's earned rightly deserved credit. He's an outstanding human being."

Clifford has served as the town's emergency management director for about 15 years, an unpaid volunteer position which is separate from his position as fire chief. He regularly attends training and planning sessions for the position.

The planning process includes creating response strategies for a range of disasters caused by either nature or man.

"I think it's a great honor," Clifford said of his award. "Every emergency responder is looking out for the interest of the commonwealth and our visitors."

To reach Jenn Smith: jsmith@berkshireeagle.com, (413) 496-6239.

Fire Prevention Week Oct 7 - 13

Scheduled Open House for Fire Prevention Week:

Williamstown’s Open House will be Saturday Oct. 13th from 10:00am to 2:00pm

Not an open house, but the Alford fire Dept. is holding it's annual pancake breakfast on Sunday Oct. 7, 7:30 - 11:30 at the fire station at 86 North. Egremont Road. Alford, MA. The equipment is open to all that attend. They will be handing out fire prevention flyers and stickers to the kids and parents.


The North Adams Fire Department will host a fire safety open house in honor of National Fire Prevention Month on Sunday, Oct. 7, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the fire station, 40 American Legion Drive.
The open house will include firefighters demonstrating the way to escape a smoke-filled room, cooking safety tips, fire prevention tips, and Sparky, the fire safety mascot, interacting with the children.