2020

Annual Town Meeting October 21, 2019

ARTICLE 11: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds a sum of money for the purchase of a replacement breathing air compressor unit for the Chelmsford Fire Department; or act in relation thereto.
SUBMITTED BY: Town Manager
MOTION UNDER ARTICLE 11. I move that the Town transfer $95,000 from Free Cash for the purchase of a replacement breathing air compressor unit for the Chelmsford Fire Department.
MOTION UNDER ARTICLE 11: Carries by unanimous consent.

Fire Chief's Report

350PierceFireEngine I would like to thank the residents of Chelmsford for always supporting the Chelmsford Fire Department. This past year we were able to purchase our 2020 Pierce Fire Engine. Deputy Donoghue, mechanic Frank Fader, and several others have been working to install the required life safety equipment on the new apparatus. Training is taking place and the new engine will be placed into service in August.

Pastor Steve Burkett A special dedication goes to Pastor Steve Burkett who served as the Chelmsford Fire Department Chaplin since 2001. Through the years, Pastor Steve has paid visits to injured fire fighters, attended calling hours at funeral homes, and led prayers at 9-11 programs and official ceremonies. In moments of tragedy, he has offered solace to fire fighters and community members in need. He provided comfort and friendship to all he encountered. Pastor Steve retired on June 28, 2020 and he and his family moved back home to Maine.

Pastor Steve Burkett Retirement

COVID-19 Over the years, the fire service has dealt with several pandemic events. Since the 9/11 attacks, they have answered the calls for biological terrorism and dealt with emerging diseases from H1N1, SARS, and numerous Flu outbreaks. Like the rest of the country, the residents of Chelmsford have been significantly impacted as COVID-19 proliferated throughout Massachusetts. Everything changed at a moment’s notice, especially for those providing emergency services while under the threat of COVID-19. In the midst of this challenge, the Chelmsford Fire Department continues to deliver services our residents need and have come to expect from us. COVID-19 has changed just about every aspect of the Chelmsford Fire Department. From social distancing guidelines that prompted new operating protocols to discontinuing participation in community events, like station tours and allowing outside access to our conference room. The Department also transitioned to an online permitting system to process permits and review building plans. All this was done to minimize “in person” visits to Town Hall and our Fire Stations. Inside the Fire Stations, we also took steps to minimize exposure; firefighters would begin each shift by having their temperatures taken to screen for COVID-19 symptoms, technical team-based training was revised by assigning fewer firefighters to a task, and enhanced cleaning measures were undertaken. Stations, bunkrooms, and apparatus were sanitized with an electrostatic sprayer, which uses “atomized” sanitizer that clings to surfaces and actively kills pathogens for 24 hours after application. Biocontamination control measures were implemented for potential exposure. The 911 public safety dispatchers performed a critical function as they implemented enhanced caller screening by asking targeted questions in an effort to triage calls. The information gathered from dispatch provided emergency responders crucial situational awareness when responding. Operationally, all fire department responses took on the aspect of a potential COVID-19 exposure. Protocols mandated enhanced personal protective equipment to align with CDC recommendations and when possible, fewer firefighters entered a home or business to minimize exposure. Our interaction with the public was changed as initial medical assessments were often conducted from a distance of six feet to protect both the responder and patient. Our Fire Prevention Office was re-engineered to conform to COVID-19 infectious control practices. Plexiglass barriers were erected to protect against airborne droplets and occupancy limitations were put into effect.

Bill Cady Jr. William “Bill” V. Cady, Jr., age 71, sadly passed away on October 3, 2019 at his home in Singer Island, FL. Bill joined the Chelmsford Fire Department in 1971 and assumed the role of the department’s first Fire Safe Education Officer in 1996. He demonstrated a passion for teaching fire safety to early elementary students and served as a role model for future educators. In 2001, Bill retired from the department after serving 30 years. We celebrate his incredible life and commit ourselves to carry on his legacy by continuing his noble work.

Chelmsford military veteran Aubrey Pine joined the department on September 4, 2019. In March, Firefighter Pine graduated from the Massachusetts Fire Academy. We welcome him to the Department and wish him a long and successful career.

Chief
Gary Ryan

Deputy Chief
Michael Donoghue

Training Captains
John Kivlan
William Schellbach

Fire Prevention Captains
Ryan Houle
Daniel Koutsoufis

Mechanic
Frank Fader

Clerk
Anna Griffin

Fire Prevention Clerk
Jo-Ellen Carkin

Unit 1
Captain Marc Pare
Kevin Clarke
John Robinson
George Ryan
Robert Gardner
Timothy Shanahan
Michael Maher
Michael Ducharme
Michelle Sacco
Jason Turner
Gregory Segnini
Timothy McNiff
Aubrey Pine

Unit 2
Captain Daniel Manley
William Keohane
Leo Manley
William Bennett
Casey Phelan
Michael Nelson
Joshua Abbott
Evan Boudreau
Erik Byam
Donald Kohl
Robert Albon
Derek Hamilton
Kenneth Labrecque
Unit 3
Captain Kevin O’Brien
Christopher Brothers
William Amundson
Keith Lindsay
Michael Young
Garrett Walsh
Edward Casey
Patrick Daley
Joshua Turner
Andrew Micu
Nicholas Hamilton
Gary Baker
Scott Newcomb

Unit 4
Captain Daniel Funaro
William Bacon
Daniel Corey
Jeffrey Cancella
Thomas Brothers
Michael Chiasson
Edward Boisseau
Michael Brothers
David Maher
David Houle
Gregory Sparks
Patrick McGarry

2021

770_01_IMG_9212 Station Closed
Station closed for addition of 12 modules to replace outdated structures (6/2/2021 photo by Fred Merriam)

770_2021_7_16_page1 Eagle Independent
770_2021_7_16-page2A Eagle Independent
770_02_IMG_9231 Station Closed
Temporary Fire Station at the DPW site on Richardson Road (6/2/2021 photo by Fred Merriam)

770_03_IMG_9234 Fire alarm truck
Temporary quaters for the Fire Alarm truck (6/2/2021 photo by Fred Merriam)

770_04_IMG_9238 Engine 3 and 6
Engines 3 and 6 in temporary quarters (6/2/2021 photo by Fred Merriam)

770_05_IMG_9239 echanic's truck
Mechanic's truck and trmporary engine house (6/2/2021 photo by Fred Merriam)

770_06_IMG_9242 Temporary living space
Temporary Fire Station living quarters (6/2/2021 photo by Fred Merriam)

770_07_IMG_9243 Temporary kitchen
Temporary Fire Station kitchen (6/2/2021 photo by Fred Merriam)

770_08_IMG_9219 Prepared for demolition
Prepared for partial demolition (6/2/2021 photo by Fred Merriam)

770_09_IMG_0476 Old office demolished
Old office demolished and foundation cleaned up (7/23/2021 photo by Fred Merriam)

770_10_IMG_0515 New foundation
New foundation poured and garage door opening cut (8/17/2021 photo by Fred Merriam)

770_11_IMG_0516 Inside view
Ceiling opened up for snow load reinforcement (8/17/2021 photo by Fred Merriam)

770_12_IMG_0523 Crawl space sealed
Crawl space sealed with concrete (8/17/2021 photo by Fred Merriam)

770_2021_8_27_page1 Eagle Independent
770_2021_8_27_page3a Eagle Independent
770_14_IMG_0541 New modules
Front view wih modules in place (8/27/2021 photo by Fred Merriam)

770_15_IMG_0545 New modules
Side view with new modules in place (8/27/2021 photo by Fred Merriam)


For news and photos 2022 and beyond, please vusit the Chelmsford Fire Department Facebook group here:

Photo

Created by Fred Merriam with Firefighters Bill Bennett and Donnie Peterson.