Canton

Canton Firefighter Graduates from Massachusetts Firefighter Academy

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Canton Fire Department
Chief Charles E. Doody
99 Revere St.
Canton, MA 02021

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019

Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Canton Firefighter Graduates from Massachusetts Firefighter Academy

CANTON — Chief Charles Doody is pleased to announce that Firefighter Austin McGonagle graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy (MFA) on Friday, Aug. 9.

Firefighter McGonagle was among the 37 firefighters representing 23 departments to graduate from the MFA’s Career Recruit Firefighter Training Class 275. Graduates were recognized at a ceremony at the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services headquarters in Stow Friday.

The 10-week program teaches the essentials of fire and non-fire conditions, life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation and fire attack.

McGonagle, age 22, was hired by the department in October 2018. He is a Canton resident and a graduate of Canton High School. He is a certified paramedic and a graduate of the Massasoit Community College paramedicine program.

Firefighter McGonagle is assigned to Group 3. His first shift will be on Tuesday, Aug. 20.

Following his graduation from the academy, McGonagle is now certified as a Firefighter I/II and certified in Hazardous Materials Operations.

“The academy provides our firefighters with the skills needed to perform their work effectively and safely,” Chief Doody said. “We are proud to have Firefighter McGonagle as part of our department and I look forward to watching him take this next step in his career.”

The other 36 graduates represented the fire departments of Beverly, Easton, Fairhaven, Foxborough, Gloucester, Holden, Hopkinton, Mansfield, Medfield, Methuen, Milford, Nahant, Norwood, Reading, Saugus, Scituate, Seekonk, Swampscott, Watertown, Westborough, Westwood and Winchester.

The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy:

At the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, firefighter recruits learn a wide range of skills in an intensive 10-week program. Certified and more experienced firefighters lead classroom instruction, physical fitness training, firefighter skills training and firefighting practice. Students are given training in public fire education, hazardous material incident mitigation, flammable liquids, stress management, confined space rescue techniques and rappelling. Upon successful completion of the Recruit Program, all students have met national standards of National Fire Protection Association 1001.

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Canton Fire Department Offers Grilling Safety Tips

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Canton Fire Department
Chief Charles E. Doody
99 Revere St.
Canton, MA 02021

For Immediate Release

Friday, Aug. 2, 2019

Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Canton Fire Department Offers Grilling Safety Tips

CANTON – Chief Charles Doody would like to remind Canton residents to make sure they’re practicing safe grilling habits while cooking outdoors this season.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, fire departments throughout the state responded to 474 fires involving grills, hibachis and barbecues between 2014 and 2018. The fires caused 19 civilian injuries, seven firefighter injuries and $3.8 million in property damage.

“Grilling is a favorite summer and fall pastime for many people,” Chief Doody said. “We want to urge residents to make sure they understand how to safely operate their grill as to not create a serious fire risk.”

To practice safe grilling and prevent grilling fires and injuries in the coming weeks and months, Chief Doody recommends the following safety tips provided by the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services:

Safety First

  • Always grill outdoors.
  • Grills cannot be used on a porch, balcony or deck with a roof, overhang or wall (other than the exterior of the building).
  • Grills can only be used on open first floor porches, decks or patios if there is an outdoor stairway to the ground, or the porch is at ground level.
  • Grills must be 10 feet from the side of a building unless the manufacturer’s instructions say it can be closer. Make sure grills are not underneath overhanging branches.
  • Grills cannot be used on fire escapes.
  • Place grills away from the house and deck railings.
  • Keep children and pets at least three feet away from grills. Children should never play near grills or propane cylinders. Keep all matches, lighters and lighter fluid away from children.

Gas Grill Safety

  • Never leave a burning grill unattended.
  • Make sure that the lid of a gas grill is open when you light it. Propane can build up
    inside and when ignited, the lid may blow off.
  • If you smell gas while cooking, turn off and get away from the grill. Call 911 from a
    safe location. Do not move the grill.
  • Always turn off the burners and close the propane cylinder when done cooking.
  • Keep all propane outdoors, at least 10 feet away from building openings such as doors, windows and dryer vents, and 20 feet away from air intake vents and ignition sources.
  • Do not smoke while handling a propane cylinder.
  • Clean the grease trap every time you grill.
  • Replace propane cylinders that are old, rusty, or showing any other signs of disrepair.

Charcoal Grill Safety

  • Use only charcoal starter fluid. Gasoline and kerosene should not be used to start a fire in a grill. Never add lighter fluid to burning briquettes or hot coals. Doing so may cause a flash fire and result in serious burn injuries.
  • Charcoal briquettes give off carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas that can be deadly. Always use charcoal grills in a well-ventilated area. Never use charcoal grills indoors.
  • For proper disposal of grill ashes, allow the coals to burn out completely and then cool for 48 hours before disposal. If you must dispose of ashes before they are completely cooled, thoroughly soak them in water before putting them in a metal container.

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Canton Fire Department Extinguishes 2-Alarm House Fire on Shepard Way

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Canton Fire Department
Chief Charles E. Doody
99 Revere St.
Canton, MA 02021

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Canton Fire Department Extinguishes 2-Alarm House Fire on Shepard Way

CANTON — Chief Charles E. Doody reports that the Canton Fire Department extinguished a 2-alarm house fire early Tuesday morning.

At approximately 1:20 a.m., the Canton Fire Department received a 911 call from a resident who reported smelling smoke in her home at 8 Shepard Way. While firefighters were en route, the woman called back to report that she could see smoke inside of the house.

The two adult occupants of the home were able to make it safely out of the house prior to the arrival of firefighters.

Upon arrival, firefighters saw heavy smoke coming from the rear of the home near the attached garage.

Because the fire had extended into the attic of the home, Chief Doody struck a second alarm and firefighters from Stoughton, Sharon, Norwood and Milton came to the scene to provide mutual aid. In addition, the Randolph and Westwood fire departments provided station coverage for Canton.

It took approximately 2 1/2 hours for the flames to be fully extinguished. After overhauling the scene and checking for hot spots, the scene was cleared around 7 a.m.

No injuries were reported in the incident.

The two residents will be displaced as a result of the fire. The home sustained significant fire, smoke and water damage and is uninhabitable at this time. The residents will be staying with family.

Chief Doody estimated that approximately $250,000 in damage was done to the home.

The initial investigation indicates that the fire started in a room in the rear of the garage and was likely caused by an electrical malfunction.

“I want to commend our firefighters and thank all of our neighboring departments who came to assist on this call,” Chief Doody said. “This fire was difficult to fully extinguish because once it got into the concealed spaces in the walls and the open space in the attic, it could have spread throughout the whole house. Thankfully we were able to get it knocked down and prevent the house from being a total loss.”

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Canton Firefighters Complete Successful Active Shooter Training

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Canton Fire Department
Chief Charles E. Doody
99 Revere St.
Canton, MA 02021

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Canton Firefighters Complete Successful Active Shooter Training

CANTON — Fire Chief Charles Doody reports that the Canton Fire Department participated in a successful active shooter training exercise last week.

On Thursday, April 18, approximately 30 Canton firefighters, paramedics and police officers participated in a training exercise at the Temple B’nai Tikvah on Washington Street.

The first responders worked together during several active shooter scenarios during the training.

“Based on the recent attacks in Sri Lanka, I think Police Chief Berkowitz was ahead of the curve when he suggested several months ago during the planning process that we conduct the drill in a house of worship,” Chief Doody said.

During the training, firefighters and paramedics focused on rescuing wounded victims and providing life-saving care such as applying tourniquets and quick clotting bandages. Police officers trained on making entry to a building during an armed intruder situation. They also trained to locate and eliminate an active shooter.

“Having the opportunity to practice our active shooter response skills while working alongside our town’s police officers was an incredible training opportunity,” Fire Chief Doody said. “Running through these emergency scenarios reinforces the procedures we’ve developed, and prepares us all to respond as swiftly and effectively as possible in the event of such an emergency.”

Volunteers from the Canton Emergency Response Team (CERT) participated and posed as victims during the training.

Another active shooter training session for the Canton police and fire departments is planned for this May.

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