’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.