Marlborough Fire Department assistant chief receives accreditation

Marlborough Fire Department Assistant Chief Jeff Emanuelson recently became accredited by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Fire Service Commission. The path to becoming accredited is not an easy one. The Massachusetts Fire Chiefs credentialing and recredentialing program is intended to provide the opportunity for all full-time, call and volunteer applicants to demonstrate, through recognition at the highest level, their skills, knowledge and professional achievements that benefit their respective departments and the cities or towns they serve. Accreditation can be obtained by anyone in the ranks from fire lieutenant to chief. There are 11 categories with a point system, and each category has its own point system.
Community Advocate

Springfield Fire Captain offers safety reminders when heading to lakes and ponds this season

Two people were rescued from Loon Pond Monday evening, and suffered from mild hypothermia. One of them was a four-year-old girl. Heading to your favorite lake or pond can result in serious injuries if you don’t prepare. It takes almost four times the energy to heat water than it does to heat air. This causes delayed spikes in water temperatures when air heats up rapidly over a short period of time. Springfield Fire Captain Drew Piemonte told 22News to urge caution to those bringing out the boat early, “With the warmer temperature doesn’t mean the water warms up as quickly, especially in the springtime, the water right now is around 50 degrees, just like to remind the public if they’re gonna go out and recreate on the water or any type of water activities, to make sure they have a PFD on.”
WWLP-TV NBC/CW+ 22 Springfield

Southampton crews respond to 3-car crash outside of Walgreens

Emergency crews in Southampton responded to a vehicle crash on Tuesday afternoon. According to the Southampton Fire Department, at around 2:45 p.m. firefighters were on scene of College Highway in front of Walgreens for reports of a 3 car-accident. Of the three vehicles involved, one SUV had moderate front end damage, a Sedan had moderate passenger side damage, and another Sedan had minor front end damage. Officials said one of the drivers was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
Western Mass News

50 firefighters battle multi-alarm blaze at Wareham home

VIDEO: Approximately 50 firefighters battled a multi-alarm blaze that ripped through a home in Wareham, Massachusetts, on Monday afternoon, triggering a large fire department response. Firefighters rushed to the home at 85 Fearing Street in Onset, just off Route 6. Video from the scene showed flames shooting through the roof of the home, with more fire damage to the rear half of the home. The fire quickly reached three alarms, with firefighters from surrounding communities called to the scene. Onset fire officials said the heavy fire was knocked down in approximately one hour, with the fire being declared out just after 5 p.m. The cause of the fire was not immediately made public by fire investigators.
WCVB-TV ABC 5 Boston

Amherst Fire Chief Walter ‘Tim’ Nelson to retire in June

Fire Chief Walter O. “Tim” Nelson, who has led the department since early 2010, will retire from the position at the end of June, bringing to a close a more than 43-year career in fire services in which his emphasis has been on helping others, including those in the community and those with whom he works. “The best part of the job is the connections and using those connections to take care of people,” Nelson said in a phone interview April 1. Nelson’s retirement was announced by town officials publicly last week, though his pending departure hasn’t been a secret, as he walked with a farewell sash in the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Nelson, 67, came to Amherst after 29 years with the Holyoke department, where he rose to deputy chief. “I really feel I’ve been part of two great fire departments,” Nelson said.
Amherst Bulletin - Metered Site

Vested Interest in K9’s, Inc. to donate to the Springfield Fire Department

Springfield officials will be announcing a special donation from Vested Interest in K9’s, Inc. to the Springfield Fire Department on Tuesday. According to the City of Springfield, Mayor Domenic Sarno will join Fire Commissioner BJ Calvi and Lisa King from Vested Interest in K9’s, Inc. at the Springfield Fire Department’s Raymond M. Sullivan Safety Complex on Carew Street for the donation at 10:00 a.m. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charity established in 2009 whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. has provided over 5,435 vests to K-9s in all 50 states at a value of $6.9 million, which was made possible by both private and corporate donations.
WWLP-TV NBC/CW+ 22 Springfield

Wild video shows truck nearly hitting Bellingham ice cream shop: ’Tragedy was avoided here’

VIDEO: A close call in Bellingham was caught on camera Sunday. Surveillance video shows an apparently speeding truck fly off the road and hit an ice cream shop sign, and then narrowly miss a car with a baby inside. The red truck is seen veering off Pulaski Boulevard and blasting through the sign of Chevy's Ice Cream Parlor at about 7:30 p.m. "Our sign is blown to smithereens," shop owner Shayna Murray told WBZ-TV. "It was like a tornado came through." Another camera angle shows the truck just inches away from smashing into an SUV parked nearby. Seconds later, a driver gets out with a baby in her arms. "When I saw the footage I just could not believe how fast the guy was coming," Murray said. The Ford F350 driver, 38-year-old Robert Marcoux of Bellingham, is being criminally cited for operating under the influence, operating to endanger, and speeding, police said.
WBZ-TV CBS 4 Boston