Editorial

From the Editor’s Desk

Dennis Whittam, Editor Are You Ready for2023?

The year 2022 brought reality to many firefighters with the Line of Duty Deaths of many of our colleagues. Cancer took many of our heroes from their families and co-workers in 2022. To all responders, there are measures that we can take to keep ourselves and our families safe from cancer. You have heard me talk about the things we can do to protect ourselves from this insidious disease. In 2023, please take the advice from the people who are working hard to convince all responders that wearing clean protective gear and SCBAis a good start to keeping yourself safe. The IAFF states that firefighter occupational cancer is the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths in the fire service. At the 2022 IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial, almost 75 percent of the names added to the wall (348 out of 469) were members who had died from occupational cancer. Visit IAFF.org to learn about cancer among firefighters. January is Firefighter Cancer Awareness month. Take some time in 2023 to learn what you can do to be “safer” from this disease. Thank you to the IAFF for making firefighters aware of cancer and what you can do to stay safe and lessen your chances of getting cancer.

For over 30 years, I was an Industrial Arts/Technology teacher. I taught middle school kids to use tools and machinery which, today, is considered dangerous. Sadly, many of the projects we did are no longer performed in schools. Industry and the fire service is now feeling the effects of not training kids to safely use machinery. The fire service is also noticing that many probationary firefighters are uncomfortable with using cutting tools. Thank you to our chiefs, officers and training committees for teaching our members how to use machinery and tools safely.

I also would like to thank our chiefs, company officers and senior members for setting up an intense program that teaches all members, new and old, to work safely as they battle the flames that greet them at a working fire. It is evident that all departments are doing a great job teaching our firefighters to operate safely. Many of my neighboring departments battled fatal fires in 2022. It was a tough year for many of you. Thank you to the chiefs that set up counseling sessions with the firefighters who experienced death on the fire ground. Thank you to the responders that took the opportunity to be part of these classes. Your professionalism came through by your presence at these sessions.

In 2023, give thought to what you can do to be a better firefighter. Your community needs you, 24/7! Stay active, train and share your knowledge and experiences with your new members.

As a firefighter dealing with cancer, I appreciated the comradeship that I received in 2022. I am hoping that in 2023 I will be able to get back to what I love to do; that is to assist in training firefighters. In the meantime, have a safe and wonderful News Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Stay strong in 2023! - Dennis

Shelton Fire Extends

Acivilian burning cardboard in Shelton (CT) on October12, 2022, let his fire get out of control, and it spread quickly, catching nearby piles of cardboard and tires on fire. This pile was exposed to a connex box, which it was up against. The box became fully involved and exposed to two autos behind it. Two handlines and a multiversal were used to knock down the fire. Companies had extensive overhaul. The town fire marshal was investigating. - Fire News photo by Glenn Duda, Allhandsworking

Norwood Laundromat 3-Alarmer

Norwood (MA) LadderCompany 1 operated at a three-alarm fire in a laundromat on Central Street. - Fire News photo by Bob Myers

Historic House in Deerfield Saved

The Deerfield (NH) Fire Department, along with several mutual aid units, were dispatched to a report of a fully involved barn fire on Meeting House Hill Road. Responders arrived to a garage attached to a house fully engulfed and immediately called fora second alarm. The structure quickly collapsed and firefighters worked in windy conditions to keep the fire from furtherdamaging the house (built in 1764), and spreading to nearby brush. The garage was a total loss and, despite the intense fire and wind, the house primarily suffered exteriordamage with some smoke entering the house. Several towns responded including Auburn, Allenstown, Candia, Chester, Chichester, Durham, Epping, Lee, Raymond and Strafford. - Fire News photo by Jeffrey Hastings

Hudson 2-Alarm House Fire

Hudson (NH) firefighters responded to a house fire on the morning of November14, 2022. Companies arrived to find heavy fire showing from an attached garage. Command struck a second alarm bringing mutual aid to the scene and to cover. Companies stretched multiple handlines and Ladder2 opened the roof. - Fire News photo by Patrick Kerrigan

1 Fatality at Pawtucket Blaze

Pawtucket (RI) firefighters worked a two-alarm fire on Ballston Avenue on a very hot and humid August 10, 2022. Companies arrived to find heavy smoke showing from a 21/2 story wood frame dwelling with many occupants in need of rescue. Rescues were made overladders and fire escapes while engine companies stretched in to aggressively attack the fire. Unfortunately, one elderly female succumbed aftertransport to the hospital. - Fire News photo by Ken LaBelle

Pembroke Garage 2-Alarmer

Pembroke (MA) Fire responded to Lantern Street fora fire recently. Companies arrived to a large garage and a large area of brush on fire and struck a second alarm. - Fire News photo by Tyler Reardon

Exposure Problems at Fall River3-Alarm

October29, 2022, Fall River(MA) 911 communications began receiving calls reporting a fire on ManchesterStreet. Engines 2, 4 and 9, along with Ladders 2 and 4, Rescue 1, and Car3 responded. Car3 was notified of the additional calls and called fora second alarm immediately. Fall Riverpolice reported heavy smoke showing. Car3 arrived to find an immediate exposure problem, with one attached exposure, and the next one fourfeet away. Chief Bacon ordered that all waterbe directed on the exposures and called for a third alarm. Firefighters were able to contain the blaze to the building of origin, an auto repairgarage.

Holbrook House Fire

On November25, 2022, Holbrook (MA) firefighters responded fora fire on Thornton Road in Holbrook. Crews arrived to fire showing in an occupied single-story house. Mutual aid came from Randolph and Avon; Braintree covered Holbrook’s station. - Fire News photo Dave Stewart

Glastonbury Brush Fire

Glastonbury (CT) crews fought a brush fire on Heritage Drive on November7, 2022, at 1632.

- Fire News photo by Patrick Dooley

Lowell Commercial Blaze Lowell Commercial Blaze

South Windsor South Windsor Fire Held to Fire Held to Involved Involved Units Units

Lowell (MA) firefighters battled a stubborn blaze on Broadway Street on November9, 2022. Companies arrived to find smoke showing from an irregularshaped auto repairshop. Firefighters made an aggressive interiorattack but were thrown back by the fire. There was a brief Mayday called when a membercame off of a hoseline. All companies exited the building and a PAR was conducted. Companies remained on scene forseveral hours flowing big lines into the building. - Fire News photos by Patrick Kerrigan and Kevin White

At approximately 0110 on October12, 2022, the South Windsor(CT) Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to a building fire on Amato Drive. Priorto the arrival of companies, an on-scene firefightergave the initial size up fora twostory apartment complex with fire showing on the rearporches of two units and extending upward. Companies arrived and deployed two handlines to the rear. Afterthe bulk of the fire was knocked down, companies faced heavy fire in the attic and roof area. Asecond alarm was transmitted bringing in surrounding mutual aid. Companies held the fire to the two primarily involved units, and brought the fire undercontrol afterapproximately two hours. - Fire News photos by Maurice Delage and Patrick Dooley

Occupants, Occupants, Pets Safe Pets Safe AfterBlaze AfterBlaze in in Killingworth Killingworth

Killingworth (CT) VolunteerFire Company responded to a structure fire at 0900 on September22, 2022, at a single-family residence on North Chestnut Hill Road. The occupants, two cats, and two dogs made it out safely. Crews from Haddam, Chester, Deep River, Essex, Guilford, Clinton, Madison, N. Madison, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook provided mutual aid at the scene. Durham provided station coverage forKillingworth. - Fire News photos by Olivia Drake

Killingly House Fight Goes Defensive

On October29, 2022, the Attawaugan Fire Department (Killingly, CT), along with mutual aid companies, were dispatched to Thompson Pike fora structure fire. On arrival, companies found heavy fire showing from the roof of a dwelling. Companies made an initial interiorattack to allow forthe search of possible victims. During this attack, command was able to verify via phone that no residents were present at the time. With this information, command pulled all companies out of the building and moved to defensive operations. The fire was held to a first alarm with multiple additional tankerunits. - Fire News photo by Dan ‘Magik’Majercik

Duxbury 2-Alarmer

Duxbury (MA) Fire quickly struck a second alarm at a house fire, which brought in mutual aid from several communities. Despite heavy fire conditions, fire was kept from spreading to the main living quarters of the house.

- Fire News photo by Rob Reardon

Junkyard Fire in Housantic

On October21, 2022, thick black smoke could be seen formiles from a junkyard located on Van Deusenville Road in the village of Housatonic. Great Barrington (CT) firefighters responded with fourengines and a tankertask force was requested forwater supply. Twenty vehicles and a variety of scrap tanks were burning. Crews quickly knocked down the bulk of the fire. DEPwas requested to monitorenvironmental impact. - Fire News photo by Ed Harvey

Stoughton 3-Alarmer

Members of Sharon (MA) Ladder1 opened the roof during a three-alarm fire in Stoughton on August 7, 2022. - Fire News photo by Bob Myers

Restaurants Burn in Andover

On October16, 2022, Andover(MA) responded fora second-alarm fire, which tore through multiple restaurants located downtown on Essex Street. The fire started in the Sauce Restaurant and extended into two others that share the same single-story building. Firefighters were forced into a defensive operation afterthe ceiling collapsed with fire breaking through the roof. - Fire News photo by Kevin White

Worcester 3-Alarmer

On September16, 2022, Worcester (MA) crews responded fora threealarmeron Rodney Street in the city’s Belmont Hill section. Companies had heavy fire in a three-deckeron arrival, and made an aggressive attack on the fire and quickly knocked it down. - Fire News photo by Paul Shea

DumpsterFires in Stamford

On September29, 2022, Stamford (CT) companies arrived to find heavy fire conditions in the back of the house on Fairfield Avenue, the scene of a previous fire. Alarge dumpsterwas outside the house and ignited. The fire spread from the dumpsterto the structure, climbing outside the back of the house and into the attic area. Atowerladderwas put into operation and knocked down the heavy fire, then crews gained access to extinguish the blaze. Asecond building also had its vinyl siding melted off. As this fire was going on, anotherdumpsterfire was reported a block away against a school building. An additional alarm was sounded forthat fire. - Fire News photo by PuckStopperPhotography.com

Page 12, Fire News, January/February 2023

Smithfield Shed Fires

ASmithfield (RI) EMS Rescue was returning from the hospital when they noticed smoke in the sky off Mineral Spring Avenue in North Providence. They arrived to find two sheds burning in the backyard of a Brown Avenue address and quickly deployed a garden hose onto the fire. North Providence companies arrived to knock the rest of the fire down and overhauled two exposure dwelling that sustained radiant heat damage. - Fire News photo by Ken LaBelle

Merrimack 2-Alarm Extends

Merrimack (NH) Fire received a call from a homeowneron Forest Drive that a house was engulfed in fire. On arrival, firefighters could see heavy smoke and fire. The garage and two vehicles outside were also on fire. Asecond alarm was requested bringing mutual aid from several towns and cities, and forstation coverage. Crews were challenged with watersupply issues and hoselines that had to be stretched a significant distance. Crews stretched lines to the interiorof the house, and othercrews worked to knock down the fire outside. Nashua (NH) Fire extended a laddertruck to the roof and cut ventilation holes. Several loud popping noises were heard while the cars burned, and live powerlines fell to the ground. The fire extended to the house, and caused heavy smoke and waterdamage.

- Fire News photo by Jeffrey Hastings

Vernon Working Fire

Vernon (CT) firefighters responded fora fully involved garage with extension to two floors of a house on Grove Street on November12, 2022, at 1656. Amutual-aid ladderfrom Tolland assisted at the scene, - Fire News photo by Patrick Dooley

Derby Structure Fire

Just after2030 on October5, 2022, Derby (CT) EMS arrived at Caroline Street foran EMS call. However, they pulled up to a working structure fire. Crews from Derby, Shelton, Ansonia, Orange and Seymourresponded to the blaze. Crews had heavy fire on the second floorbut were able to make a good knockdown of the bulk of the fire. - Fire News photo by Jack McCarthy (Fill The Box Photography)

Pepperell RVFire Held

Pepperell (MA) firefighters operated at an RVfire with no extension to the house. - Fire News photo by Shaun Shattuck

Manchester3-Alarmer

Quick Knockdown in Gardner

On November23, 2022, Gardner(MA) Fire made a quick knock down of a fire in a 1-1/2 story home on Coleman Street. - Fire News photo by Bryan Favreau, Onscene Images

Garage Fire in Douglas Snuffed

On September27, 2020, Douglas (MA) firefighters extinguished a heavily involved garage fire.

- Fire News photo by Bud Harris

One Lucky Driver

In the early morning of October13, 2022, a small sedan smashed into the Honey Dew Donuts located on Gold StarBoulevard in Worcester(MA). It was believed that rainy conditions and speed played majorfactors in the accident. The impact of the crash split the automobile in half. The rearend of the carwas found outside the building and the front end of the carcame to rest inside the store. Abuilding inspectorwas called to the scene to check the structural stability of the shop. Miraculously, the driverwas able to get out of the carunderhis own powerand walk to the ambulance. - Fire News photos by Paul Shea

RI and CTCrews Coordinate Rescue

On October16, 2022, crews from Pascoag (Burrillville, RI) Fire Department and the East Thompson (CT) VolunteerFire Department were separately dispatched foran ATVaccident with serious injuries on the Rhode Island-Connecticut border. Crews from both departments entered the woods and located the victim in Rhode Island. Crews jointly extricated the victim from the woods, via a UTV, to the trailhead in Thompson. The victim was furthertransported by a Pascoag Fire Department ambulance to the established LZ at the Thompson Speedway where a UMASS Memorial LifeFlight helicopterwas waiting. - Fire News photo by Dan ‘Magik’Majercik

Haddam Handles Rollover

At 0100 on October4, 2022, Haddam (CT) VolunteerFire Company was dispatched to the Route 9 North exit 9 off-ramp fora rollover. Adriverhad veered off to the left side of the road, struck two road signs, flipped, and stopped in heavy brush. The driverwas able to self-extricate and was evaluated on scene by EMT-certified firefighters. - Fire News photo by Olivia Drake

Golf Cart Crash Sends Fourto Hospital

Around 1330 hours on the afternoon of October8, 2022, the Freedom (NH) Fire Department responded to a report of a golf cart accident on Old Shawtown Road at the Danforth Bay Camping and RVResort. Companies arrived to find a single golf cart with multiple injuries to its paassengers. Ambulances from CenterOssipee Fire, Conway Fire and two ambulances from Action EMS responded. Fourpeople were transported to Memorial Hospital in North Conway fortreatment of their injuries. - Fire News photo by Pat Travers

Bridgeport Ave. MVARollover

At approximately 1210 on November13, 2022, the Shelton (CT) Fire Department was dispatched to Bridgeport Avenue in front of BurgerKing fora two-vehicle MVAwith rollover. All occupants self-rescued before fire department’s arrival and injuries were unknown.

- Fire News photo by FireGroundImages.com