Fire Destroys Cranwell Carriage House

By: Nichole Dupont On: 12-22-2010 04:37PM
LENOX, Mass. — A major structure fire destroyed the 120-year-old Carriage House on Wednesday afternoon at Cranwell Resort & Spa.
(Courtesy of the iberkshire.com News)
The smoke was discovered by a house inspector for the luxury resort at about 2 p.m., said General Manager Lewis M. Kiesler. "Fortunately, at this point, all the guest rooms in the Carriage House were vacant."

Kiesler was standing in the freezing temperatures calling guests to tell them their vacation plans were canceled as he watched a horde of firefighers from the surrounding towns battle the blaze. He said it was fortunate the Carriage House was at a distance from the other buildings on the sprawling estate.

The flames and smoke could be seen from the other side of Route 7 and billowed over the resort complex. The reporter at the scene said the wood-frame building looked like a tinderbox more than 45 minutes after the fire was reported.



The historic Carriage House was featured on the Cranwell website.

Lenox firefighters called in mutual aid from neighboring towns, including Lee, Great Barrington, Stockbridge, Hinsdale, Richmond and Monterey. A second call for help brought in five more departments, including Adams and Clarksburg from North County, and set the high school as a staging area for more tankers.

The Carriage House was built the same year as the mansion, which now hosts dinner parties and banquets. It was linked to the spa with a glass-enclosed walkway and boasted 18 luxury rooms on two floors. The resort also has rooms in the mansion, a set of townhouses, three cottages and the Olmsted Mansion.

Kiesler said the resort was fully booked through New Year's Eve.

Great Barrington Deputy Fire Chief Edward G. McCormick, acting as public relations officer, gave an update shortly before 5 p.m. He said the fire apparently began in the building's attic but fire officials would not speculate as to how it might have started.

It was reported to Lenox dispatch at about 2:30; the building was fully involved when firefighters arrived at the scene.

McCormick said 20 Berkshire County fire departments and one Connecticut department sent equipment and manpower to help fight the blaze.

The building's historic architecture made it difficult contain the fire; the partial collapse of one side of the building forced firefighters out of the interior.

No has been injured but the weather conditions were raising concerns over firefighters' safety, said McCormick, because of the amount of water icing up around the scene.

"I think we'll be here until tomorrow morning," he said, as smoked continued to billow behind him.

Staff writer Andy McKeever contributed to this report.




Firefighters can be seen battling the blaze from above; right, the 18-room building collapses.

Peru pols eye new fire station Proposed facility would cost $650K

By Dick Lindsay, Berkshire Eagle Staff
Updated: 06/01/2010 06:06:28 AM EDT


Tuesday June 1, 2010
PERU -- Town officials are seeking support for a new fire station at Peru's annual Town Meeting later this week.

The proposed $650,000 facility highlights the 39-article warrant voters will act on Saturday, 7 p.m. at the town's community center.

The project moving forward hinges on a two-thirds majority approval at the town meeting to borrow money for construction and voters excluding the debt from Proposition 21 2 at the town election on June 12.

Board of Selectmen Chairman Douglas Haskins said a modern-day firehouse is long overdue.

"The current wooden fire station was built in the mid-1950s," Haskins said. "It's a square building with two bay doors and just enough room for three fire trucks."

The new fire station will be a metal pre-fabricated structure similar to the new town highway garage erected two years ago and built on town-owned land next to the garage on Main Road (Route 143).

In a related article, voters will decide whether to use $35,000 in existing funds -- or "free cash" -- to pay for a new septic system that will serve both the highway garage and proposed new fire station.

Meanwhile, the town meeting will consider an overall proposed town budget of $ 1.7 million for fiscal 2011 starting July 1, which Haskins said is virtually unchanged from the current spending plan.

Nearly half the amount, $823,000 is Peru's assessment to the Central Berkshire Regional School District.

"We
pretty much level funded everything in the budget," said Haskins. "The only things that went up were things we can't control like vocational school tuition and school insurance."
Additional special money articles funded by "free cash" include $10,000 for new two-way radios for police fire and highway personnel, $2,500 for two new bullet-proof vests and a pager for the Police Department and $2,600 toward new fire hose.

Voters will also determine if Peru should enter into an inter-municipal agreement with several other rural Western Massachusetts towns.

The communities want to establish a financial self-sustaining communication system that will feature high-speed Internet access and cable television.

To reach Dick Lindsay: rlindsay@berkshireeagle.com, or (413) 496-6233

’Run card system’ is credited in helping to handle recent fires

By Jenn Smith
Posted: 05/20/2010 09:16:07 AM EDT


Thursday May 20, 2010
New England Newspapers

CUMMINGTON -- The town’s fire chief is crediting a newly activated mutual aid system with helping firefighters respond to a pair of structure fires this week.

Bernard Forgea said the system was key in helping firefighters from the hilltown departments respond to and put out the two blazes that could have been potentially devastating.

Also known as a "run card system," this network includes volunteer fire departments from 10 towns and four dispatch centers between Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin counties. It currently covers an approximate 35-mile radius.

Fire chiefs from the towns of Ashfield, Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Hawley, Peru, Plainfield, Savoy, Windsor and Worthington have been meeting monthly for more than a year to develop and tweak the plan, which, they say, still has its glitches.

"Basically, we took a compass and drew a circle around each community. If you’re in the circle, you’re going to be called to help. This way, each request for help will receive equal amounts of support from their surrounding towns," Forgea said.

The system functions as a highly organized pre-plan of attack on fires. The hilltowns have two sets of run cards, one to help dispatch a response to structure fires and another set of instructions to manage forest fires.

A dispatcher can issue one alarm to various fire stations. The responders can then look at a flow chart and see


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which teams will be sent where, who will bring what equipment, and how the fire can best be fought.
"So far, so good," said Savoy Fire Chief Lawrence Ordyna of the run card system. He noted that other Berkshire County fire chiefs have become interested in setting up a run card system in their areas, such as the North County hilltowns.

"We’re still ironing out the problems, but in the long run, we’re conserving time and resources. Our concern in the hilltowns is that we’re very understaffed during the day," Ordyna said. Savoy and Cummington, for example, only have 12 firefighters each.

The run card system was tested on Monday night when a blaze broke out at the home of Kevin and Bobbie Ann Higgins on Bush Road in Cummington. Forgea said about 50 mutual aid firefighters from seven towns were called to assist either on scene or being on standby. A machine workshop located about 20 feet from the main house was engulfed in flames. Though firefighters weren’t able to save the shop, they were able to prevent the fire from spreading, and no one was hurt.

Shortly after 1 a.m. on Wedenesday, firefighters found themselves in Cummington again facing a chimney fire on West Cummington Road. The flames traveled down into the walls of an attic, but again, the firefighters were able to save the home.

"Everyone has done a really great job this week," Forgea said.

County EMS Workers Recognized At Awards Dinner

By Patrick Ronan
iBerkshires Staff
11:20AM / Sunday, May 16, 2010
Print | Email | ShareThis





Ann Marie Larson, left, and Warren Larson, right, were very grateful for the actions taken by Deputy Sheriff Lucas Alibozek, center.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Television and film portray "super heroes" as people who possess uncanny abilities when responding to a crisis.

In real life, the superheroes aren't wearing masks or capes. On Friday night, however, they were adorned in suits, ties and dresses for the 20th Emergency Medical Services Corp. of Berkshire County Dinner and Awards Recognition. The banquet, which was held at the Elks Lodge, welcomed representatives from every EMS agency in the county.

"Everybody deserves credit for what they do because it's a job where you don't get a lot of thanks on the street," EMSCO President Brian K. Andrews, who is also president of CountyAmbulance in Pittsfield, said. "This our way of trying to recognize our team, and it kicks off EMS Week."

EMS Week, which is nationally recognized, starts Sunday and runs through May 22. EMSCO continued its "kick-off" festivities Saturday with its first EMS Expo at the Berkshire Mall.

Thirty-seven awards were presented Friday night in two categories: Save Awards for 2009 and six Western Massachusetts EMS Recognition Awards. The county logged 17 saves in 2009, including when EMS personnel played a role in bringing a patient back to life. Dr. Ronald Hayden, director of Berkshire Medical Center's emergency department, said under specific parameters — taking into account the population served and emergency-call volume — the county's life-saving statistics are "tops in the state" and they are "getting a lot of recognition at the state and national levels."

Gerald Cahalan, Dalton firefighter/EMT (Firefighter of the Year)


The recognition awards, which were presented by Shawn Godfrey, operations manager at Village Ambulance in Williamstown, were divided into six categories, including two new awards added this year. The winners were: Lester Trufant (Educator of Excellence); Kevin Hamel, EMT-paramedic at North Adams Ambulance (Advanced Life Support Provider of the Year); Gerald Cahalan, Dalton firefighter/EMT (Firefighter of the Year); Craig DeSantis, Lee Police Department (Law Enforcement Officer of the Year); and Susan Chipman, County Ambulance (EMS Communication Specialist of the Year). Village Ambulance took home the EMS Agency of the Year award.






Kevin Hamel
Hamel, who turns 70 on Tuesday, began his EMT career in 1977 and has worked for several ambulance services in the county. He has also served on the National Ski Patrol at Brodie Mountain and Jiminy Peak for the last 40 years. He has received save awards at past banquets, but this was his first regional honor.

"I've attended just about every one of [the award dinners] they've had, and every year it gets a lot better," said Hamel, who was one of more than 130 people who attended the event. Hamel was profiled by iBerkshires three years ago.

DeSantis, the law enforcement award recipient, was involved in one of the more dramatic rescues from last year. On March 10, 2009, he was working a traffic detail in Lee when a helicopter crashed into a hillside. DeSantis rushed to the scene and discovered three people inside the wreckage — one of whom, the line mechanic, was unconscious. With fuel pouring our of the aircraft and the engine still running, DeSantis pulled the mechanic out of the helicopter while the other two were able to exit on their own.

All three are alive today.

"If you see something tragic, you respond," DeSantis said. "That's the job."

When asked about his efforts, DeSantis deflected credit to the other providers for their quick response times.

"It was a team effort. It wasn't anything I did as an individual," he said. "I had brother officers who responded from multiple police agencies, the fire department, the ambulance, the EMS. ... That's the kind of community that we live in."

On Sept. 12, 2009, Lanesborough native Ann Marie Larson was working out at Retro Fitness in Pittsfield, just three days before her 72nd birthday. Deputy Sheriff Lucas Alibozek was running on a treadmill near her. That was unusual; Alibozek said he never goes to the gym on Saturdays unless he misses a workout during the week.

Because Alibozek missed a day, Larson is still alive.

"I heard a noise behind me, and I looked back to see Mrs. Larson on the ground [after she had gone into cardiac arrest]," Alibozek said. "I cleared a path around her and asked some bystanders to help get her on her back so I could check her vitals. She was unresponsive, and that's when I started CPR."

Alibozek said, when looking back, the experience is "kind of a blur," but because of his efforts, which included calling for an automated external defibrillator and requesting that a bystander call 911, Larson was able to turn 72 and celebrate the holidays with her family.

Larson, who was accompanied by her husband, Warren, met Alibozek (while conscious) for the first time Friday night. She was thankful, to say the least:

"I'm happy to be here, happy to be alive."

Benefit spaghetti supper forthe Labbee family at the Adams Elks Lodge on Friday May 7th from 4pm through 8:30pm.

As you know Dana Labbee, who is a member of the Adams Fire Department who recently lost his 18year old son to a mva last Thursday morning. His problems have not stopped there as he is a contractor who has limited work right now and he was previously injured on the job where he needs reconstructive elbow surgery. To make matters worse his mother has terminal cancer so he has been making trips back and forth to the Cape to help her out. The Adams Fire Department will be putting on a benefit spaghetti supper for his family at the Adams Elks Lodge on Friday May 7th from 4pm through 8:30pm.Tickets are $7.00 ea and we will also be collecting donations for a raffle/chinese auction.Tickets can be obtained by contacting Tom Romaniak at 329-6013, Tony Piscioneri at 652-2203, Officer Greg Charon at 281-7716 or basically through any of the other fire dept.members and at the door

Application Period for National Fire Academy Opens April 15

The application period for the first semester of FY2011 at the National Fire Academy (NFA) will be open from April 15 to June 15. NFA courses and course-materials are free, and transportation and lodging for students who represent career or volunteer fire departments, rescue squads, or state/local governments attending on-campus courses are currently provided as part of funding under the student stipend reimbursement program. The first semester includes classes that begin October 1, 2010 through March 31, 2011. Learn more and apply at www.usfa.dhs.gov/nfa.

4 escape blaze

Updated: 04/08/2010 11:45:50 PM EDT


Deputy Fire Chief Alan Sparks looks over the remains of the... (Ben Garver / Berkshire Eagle Staff)


LEE -- An intense, early morning fire on Thursday gutted a two-family home, sending four people to the hospital -- three of whom escaped through second-story windows. An electrical problem sparked the fire.

The blaze at 183 Center St. broke out around 4 a.m. with the first floor engulfed in flames and spreading fast, according Raghav Pathak, one of the residents. The 16-year-old was asleep in his second-floor bedroom when he discovered the duplex was on fire.

"I woke up and smelled something and saw flames shooting from the house," said Raghav. "I was scared as the flames would reach up and get me."

Raghav then called 911 to report the fire and his parents who were at work. He said the smoke was so thick he and two family members who were home at the time couldn’t reach the first floor to escape.

Pathak eventually got himself, his sister Ritika Pathak, 10, and grandfather, Dhavampal Pathak, 74, visiting from India, to flee the raging fire with the help of Lee firefighters who put up a ladder to the second floor.

Lee Fire Chief Ronald Driscoll said the girl and elderly man were taken to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield and treated for smoke inhalation. Pathak said his father, Navneet Pathak, 45, was also transported to BMC for a burn to his arm he suffered trying to get his family out of the house.

The other tenant, Rosio Chevez, 57, who also escaped via the second floor,



was sent to BMC complaining of chest pains, Driscoll said.
Dhavampal Pathak is listed in stable condition, hospital officials said, while the other three fire victims were treated and released.

Local fire officials and an investigator with the state Fire Marshal’s Office spent the sifting through the charred remains and Driscoll said they determined the cause to be an electrical problem in the Pathaks’ kitchen area.

The house’s owner and brother-in-law of the Pathaks, Anup Sangar of Lee, said the building was insured, but he didn’t have a cost estimate of the damage and he was unsure if the building was beyond repair.

Sangar said the five Pathak family members will stay with him for now at his home off Tyringham Road, while he expected Chevez to stay with either friends or relatives.

Lenox and Tyringham fire departments provided mutual aid and in all 30 firefighters quickly doused the smoke and flames.

"The guys did a very good job" fighting fire, Driscoll said.

To reach Dick Lindsay:
rlindsay@berkshireeagle.com,
or (413) 496-6233.

House destroyed in Williamstown fire

By Meghan Foley
Posted: 04/08/2010 01:58:30 AM EDT


Firefighters battle a fire that consumed a house at the top... (Photo taken by Meghan Foley/North Adams Transcript)«1»Thursday April 8, 2010
North Adams Transcript

WILLIAMSTOWN -- Firefighters and forest wardens from six communities struggled late Wednesday afternoon into the evening to extinguish a structure and brush fire at the top of Pine Cobble Road.

Fire Chief Craig A. Pedercini said firefighters received a call at about 4:39 p.m. reporting a structure fire on Pine Cobble Road, and upon arrival, about 50 percent a house under construction was burning.

"Within minutes it had accelerated to the house being fully involved," he said.

No one was injured in the fire, Pedercini said.

The three-story house across the street from 495 Pine Cobble Road was being built for Peter Pedroni and his family by contractor Ron Baldwin.

Pedroni, an associate professor of economics at Williams College, purchased the property in October 2009 from Williams College President and Trustees.

"It’s devastating," Pedroni said, as he watched firefighters soak the last of the charred rubble.

Neighbor Greg Karabinos, 17, said Pedroni was excited to see the house being built, and it’s sad something like this happened.

Another neighbor, Haley Mahar, 16, called 911 after she saw smoke coming out a front window of the house.

"I just looked out the window and saw smoke coming through the front window. I thought it was dust or dirt at first, but then it got bigger, and I saw flames so I called 911," she said.

The cause of the fire is


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under investigation, Pedercini said.
As firefighters fought the blaze, flames quickly spread to the woods behind the house.

"The wind basically aired the fire, and it took the house before moving to the backside of the property and up the north slope of the mountain," Pedercini said.

The brush fire then moved southeast toward the area of the Pine Cobble Trail before turning northwest when the wind changed direction, he said.

Flames came close to a nearby water tower, but firefighters were able to knock them down before they damaged any equipment.

The Williamstown and Adams Forest Wardens were called in to assist as well as fire departments from Pownal, Vt., Clarksburg, Florida and Lanesborough.

While a staging area was set up on Pine Cobble Road, most firefighters fought the fire from a second staging area up the hill at the water tower.

Butch Garrity, Berkshire County fire coordinator, said the conditions Wednesday made it a "red flag day" meaning the likelihood of forest fires was high.

"You get weather like this, and a fire can grow by 27 times a minute," he said.

By about 8:30 p.m., the brush fire had been extinguished, and Williamstown Forest Warden Richard F. Daniels Jr. planned to return to the area Thursday morning with his crew to "mop up" any areas where the fire may still be smoldering, Pedercini said.

He said they will be joined by the Adams Forest Wardens, and small crews from Lanesborough, New Ashford and Clarksburg.

While firefighters haven’t been able to assess the size of the brush fire, Pedercini estimates it burned 20 to 30 acres.

"It was all caused by the structure fire," he said.

To reach Meghan Foley,
e-mail mfoley@thetranscript.com.

The application period for MCVFA's 2010 Texas A&M Fire School Grants is now open.

The Texas A&M Fire School is one of the premiere fire schools in the country. Each year, the MCVFA offers grants to send four (4) members to the Municipal Fire School, a one-week course at the College Station, Texas university.

Applications for the four training grants for the 2010 Municipal Fire School are being accepted from March 15, 2010, until April 30, 2010. The MCVFA Training Committee will award the four grants no later than May 15, 2010.

The Municipal Fire School offers over 40 courses during the one week session. Courses available range from Executive Fire Officer to live fire training, FF/3, FF/4, and FF/5, hose handling, ropes, rescue, confined space, auto extrication, etc.

For more information on the program, see the Texas A&M Fire School Annual Schools site.



Training Grant Information


Texas A&M Municipal Fire School
College Station, Texas


July 25, thru July 31, 2010



Four Training Grants for the 2010 Municipal Fire School at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, will be opened for applications from March 15, 2010 until April 30, 2010. The four grants will be awarded no later than May 15, 2010 by the MCVFA Training Committee.

The Municipal Fire School offers 40 plus courses that are available during the week of the school. Courses range from Executive Officers courses to live fire training FF/3, FF/4, FF/5, hose, ropes, rescue, confined space, auto extrication, etc. For course information go to http://teex.com and look under Municipal Fire School.

MCVFA Training Grants will provide full expenses for FOUR (4) members, who meet the following criteria:

1. Must be a paid up member of MCVFA for the last TWO (2) years
2. Must be 21 years of age with a valid Mass Drivers License
3. Must be an active member of your Fire department (firefighter or officer)
4. Must be FF 1/2 Certified or be grandfathered and signed off by your Chief.


The Training Grant will provide each of the four selected applicants the following:


1. Round trip airline tickets from your nearest airport to Houston International or College Station, TX, whichever is available at the time
2. One group rental car for the week, College Station is 2 hours from Houston
3. Two double motel rooms for 7 nights in College Station or (Houston, Friday only)
4. Each participant will receive a $400.00 stipend for food (8 days at $50 per day)
5. Total tuition for each participant ($450/ea) will be paid by MCVFA
6. Any miscellaneous expenses up to $100 incurred by any participant


Download application here. Applications must be received no later than 1800 hours on April 30, 2010 and should be sent to: MCVFA, P.O. Box 2163, Teaticket, MA 02563. Attention: Training Committee.


Any questions contact www: training@mcvfa.org

Short Range Fire Weather

FOR IMMEDIATE CIRCULATION:

DISCUSSION...
THERE IS AN ELEVATED RISK FOR FIRE SPREAD ACROSS MOST OF MASSACHUSETTS
THIS AFTERNOON AND THROUGH WEDNESDAY. MINIMUM AFTERNOON RELATIVE
HUMIDITIES WILL DROP TO BETWEEN 20 AND 30 PERCENT COMBINED WITH POTENTIAL
DRY SOUTHERLY WIND GUSTS TO 25 MPH. THESE CONDITIONS WILL CAUSE VERY LOW
FUEL MOISTURES IN ALL DEAD OR DORMANT LIGHT SURFACE FUELS AND RESULT IN AN
ELEVATED RISK OF ACTIVE AND/OR DANGEROUS FIRE BEHAVIOR.

EASTERN FRANKLIN, HAMPSHIRE, HAMDEN COUNTIES COULD SEE RELATIVE
HUMIDITIES DROP BELOW 20% DURING THE AFTERNOON PERIODS CAUSING RAPID
DRYING IN LIGHT SURFACE FUELS AND LEADING TO POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS
FIRE BEHAVIOR.


OUTLOOK...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...

DRY AND UNSEASONABLY WARM WEATHER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY. THE
HIGHEST TEMPERATURES WILL GENERALLY BE IN THE INTERIOR WITH COOLER
TEMPERATURES ALONG THE IMMEDIATE SOUTH COAST. THE HIGHEST CONCERN
FOR FIRE SPREAD WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY WHEN HIGHS REACH INTO THE 80S
AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH ARE FORECAST. MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES
WILL DROP BETWEEN 20 AND 30 PERCENT. INCREASING CHANCES OF RAIN
FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND.

Fire destroys Pownal, Vt. home

Keith Whitcomb Jr.
Posted: 02/18/2010 02:41:47 AM EST
(Courtesy of the Bennington Banner)



POWNAL -- The remains of a home destroyed by fire Tuesday evening were still smoldering late Wednesday morning.

The home belonged to Lorenzo and Jean Burzimatie of Grapevine Lane, said Frank Burzimatie, Lorenzo Burzimatie's brother, who acted as a spokesman for the family. He said that the couple's five children were present at the house. Two of the children are adults and do not live there, while the others are ages 7, 9 and 17.

All escaped unharmed, but the family believes a cat may have been lost, said Burzimatie.

Antionette Todd, a dispatcher for the Pownal Valley Fire Protection Association, said that firefighter Walt Clark injured his hip in a fall and was hospitalized while another firefighter was also injured but released.

Burzimatie said the family believes the fire was caused by a gas-powered, self-cleaning cooking stove. He said that Lorenzo Burzimatie reported activating the device and shortly afterward seeing flames from the kitchen at around 4:45 p.m.

Burzimatie said a 911 call was made by his brother, but he had to hang up because smoke and fire had forced them out of the home. He said a second call to 911 was made from a neighbor's house.

"There was a tremendous amount of fire and emergency personnel at the scene," Frank Burzimatie said. "The emergency response was extremely quick."

Todd said nine fire departments were mobilized to deal with the blaze. She



said that Pownal Fire Department, Pownal Valley Fire Department, Bennington Rural Fire Department, Bennington Fire Department, North Hoosick (N.Y.) Fire Department, Raymertown (N.Y.) Fire Department, Williamstown (Mass.) Fire Department, Clarksburg (Mass.) Fire Department, and the Arlington Fire Department responded to the scene and to cover for other departments.
She said more than 15 water tankers responded, but firefighters were hindered by snowy weather and freezing water lines. Todd said that Kathy Gaffney and Frank Giorandino, Pownal residents, brought coffee and refreshments to the firehouse on Route 346.

Burzimatie said the family has met with the Red Cross and they are staying with a daughter in Hoosick, N.Y.

He said support from the community has been great and they are considering setting up a donation account with a local bank. He said the house was a total loss, but they have met with their insurance adjuster.

Bruce Pollock, emergency services coordinator with the American Red Cross, said that anyone wanting to make a donation to the family should contact the Red Cross at (802) 442-9458. He said that the Red Cross cannot hold donated items, but referrals can be made to the appropriate places that can.

Frank Burzimatie said Lorenzo Burzimatie is a carpenter at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, while Jean Burzimatie is a para-professional at the Pownal Elementary School.

Pownal Elementary School Principal Joy Kitchell said that Jean Burzimatie's colleagues were notified of the fire through a telephone tree.

"We are going to do everything we can for the family," she said, adding that the Burzimaties are giving people and the school community will take the opportunity to give back.

Church in ruins; parishioners stunned (CUMMINGTON, Mass)

Church in ruins; parishioners stunned
Updated: Monday, 18 Jan 2010, 7:30 AM EST
Published : Sunday, 17 Jan 2010, 6:53 AM EST

Elysia Rodriguez
CUMMINGTON, Mass. (WWLP) - A historic church in Hampshire County burned to the ground leaving its worshippers in shock. At this point, the fire isn't considered suspicious.

It stood for nearly two centuries, but early Sunday morning a fire left the West Cummington Congregational Church in ruins.

Members who normally head from all over the hill towns for services here every Sunday arrived to find their beloved church on fire.

"The church was gone. All you could see was smoke and water," said Hal Fales, a deacon at the church.

The congregation gathered inside the church's parish house, which thankfully was not attached to the church. They plan on holding services there for the meantime.

Bobby-Ann Higgins started the Sunday school program and watched her children grow up in the church. Higgins clutched a painting her mother made of the church, a place full of memories, that members hope will not fade.

Martin Pixley was baptized in the chuch and renewed his vows to his wife just a short time before she passed away from cancer. He even remarried in the church.

"I mean that church was a piece of our America," said Pixley.

Sunday morning's fire left nothing but the shell of the church remaining. The state's fire marshall has been called in to investigate. Cummington's Fire Chief Bernard Forgea told 22News they aren't taking chances.

"With what happened the last month, with the Northampton incident, that there be some sort of connection or nexus. It only takes one fire to paralyze the hilltowns," said Chief Forgea.

But like any small town, these faithful say it is only a matter of time before they rebuild.

http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/Cummington-church-destroyed-by-fireCummington-church-destroyed-by-fire WWLP 22

Fire, ice combine to make rough night Blaze breaks out during beginning of storm

By Dick Lindsay, Berkshire Eagle Staff
Updated: 01/18/2010 06:27:59 AM EST


HANCOCK -- A house fire along Route 20 kept several local fire departments busy late Sunday afternoon, just as the latest winter storm began dumping mixed precipitation on the Berkshires.
Hancock firefighters were called to the William Gross residence at 227 Lebanon Mountain Road around 5 p.m., just west of the Richmond Road intersection. Local fire officials immediately requested mutual aid with Richmond and Hinsdale responding to help battle the blaze.

How the fire started and the damage it caused were unknown late Sunday night, as fire investigators were still at the scene. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

State police detoured the Route 20 traffic from both directions around the scene due to the fire and the slippery road conditions. Snow and sleet began to fall just as the fire broke out and authorities wanted to avoid accidents involving non-emergency vehicles.

Road mishaps elsewhere

Nevertheless, police elsewhere in Berkshire County reported several minor car accidents Sunday evening from the wintry mix of precipitation on area roads and side streets. Local and state highway crews were out salting and sanding for several hours and were expected back on the job this morning.

The National Weather Service called for a few inches of snow and sleet overnight changing to a mix of rain, freezing rain and sleet as temperatures rise into the mid and upper 30s today. Forecasters expected the precipitation to taper off to a mix



of rain and snow showers by tonight.
To reach Dick Lindsay:
rlindsay@berkshireeagle.com,
or (413) 496-6233.

Village Ambulance launches ‘exploring’ program for teens

Posted: 01/09/2010 12:28:57 AM EST



By Meghan Foley

North Adams Transcript

WILLIAMSTOWN -- Village Ambulance Service hopes to offer a new program geared toward teenagers interested in the field of emergency medicine beginning next month.

Through the Boy Scouts of America’s Learning for Life Program, Village Ambulance is offering an "exploring" program to teach people between the ages of 14 and 20 about emergency medicine and to prepare them to become responsible and caring adults.

Shawn P. Godfrey, operations manager for Village Ambulance, said Thursday that as part of the program students will receive training similar to an emergency medical technician, but over a longer period of time.

"We’ve talked about recruitment and retention and have an EMT program. We thought, ‘what a good way to introduce the younger generations into the fields.’ We thought this was one other avenue we could take to recruiting people and introducing the service to the community," he said.

Students participating in the program will meet monthly for two hours, and during that time, there will be training sessions on first aid, CPR, bloodborne pathogens, defibrillation and other areas of emergency medicine, he said.

In addition, the program will teach them how to become good young adults, he said.

"We’re going to have guest speakers come in and focus on those particular components and have people come in and educate along those lines. We’re


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looking at ways to do that," he said.
In offering an exploring program, Village Ambulance has been assigned a post number -- EMS Explorer Post 911.

The program is open to both boys and girls living locally and throughout Berkshire County who have completed the eighth grade, and Village hopes to start the program in the first week of February, Godfrey said.

Students can participate in the program for as long as they want, and will have to pay yearly dues of $20 per person and buy their own uniforms, he said.

The program will be paid for through dues and fundraising, he said.

"There is a lot of potential for us. [The students] could ride on the ambulance, become an EMT and eventually work for us," he said.

While Village Ambulance is still working out the final details of the program, Godfrey sees it eventually connecting with other emergency medical services exploring programs across the state.

"We could potentially take field trips to other ambulance services and combine forces with them," he said.

To reach Meghan Foley, e-mail mfoley@thetranscript.com.