For Immediate Release

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Department of Public Works Employee Injured During Fire Overhaul Operations in Ipswich

IPSWICH — Chief Paul Nikas reports that the Ipswich Police Department is investigating an incident that occurred today where an Ipswich Department of Public Works employee was injured by a falling tree.

At approximately 10:20 a.m., Acting Fire Chief Jeff French called into the Ipswich Communications Center requesting a medical helicopter to transport an injured Ipswich DPW worker who had been struck by a falling tree.

Ipswich firefighters, along with members from the Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control and Ipswich DPW crews, were conducting overhaul operations in the forests off Pineswamp Road and Linebrook Road in Ipswich.

The overhaul operations are designed to seek out and wet down hot spots left over from yesterday’s forest fires, which 14 area fire departments were called in to extinguish. Fire crews are still on scene conducting overhaul operations.

The injured DPW worker, a 46-year-old man and resident of Gloucester, was transported via medical helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been notified. The Massachusetts State Police Crime Scene Services Section has also been notified and is assisting the Ipswich Police Department’s investigation in determining how the incident occurred.

No further information is available at this time.

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