FEMA

Amesbury Assistant Fire Chief Returns from Rescue Mission in Florida and St. Croix

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Amesbury Fire Rescue Department
Kenneth E. Berkenbush, Chief
17 School Street
Amesbury, MA 01913

For Immediate Release

Monday, Oct. 2, 2017

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

Amesbury Assistant Fire Chief Returns from Rescue Mission in Florida and St. Croix

AMESBURY — Fire Chief Kenneth E. Berkenbush wishes to acknowledge the hard work and sacrifice of Amesbury Assistant Fire Chief David Mather, who recently returned from rescue missions in Florida and St. Croix, as part of the Massachusetts-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT).

It should be known that Assistant Chief Mather and his fellow DMAT members took part in the following actions:

Assistant Chief Mather was activated and departed Boston on Tuesday, Sept. 5 as part of a 36-person team. He arrived and staged in Atlanta before leaving for Orlando, where his team had to seek shelter when Hurricane Irma arrived there on Sunday, Sept. 10. The next day, his team was assigned to a convoy that traveled from Orlando to Miami/Dade County to establish a casualty collection point for sick and injured evacuees fleeing the Florida Keys.

On Tuesday, Sept. 12, the team was reassigned to the City of Marathon, Florida, where they established a field base to assist in recovery efforts. Upon arrival, the team discovered that the local hospital, Fishermen’s Community Hospital, was damaged and unusable, and the nearest working hospitals were 40-50 miles away.

The team arrived at 6 p.m. and set up a field hospital. The hospital was up and running by midnight, six hours later.

From the start of operations at midnight on Wednesday, Sept, 13, until 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 26, the team saw 711 patients, including young children, adults and seniors until the arrival of a mobile hospital at the site on the 26th.

With inclement weather continuing and requests for help coming from many directions, on Sept. 24, Assistant Chief Mather left Marathon with a six-person Health and Medical Task Force (HMTF) of MA-1 personnel and flew from Miami to Saint Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands to assist the U.S. Air Force (USAF) with medical evacuations. (A different crew departed Florida for Puerto Rico on Sept. 30, and several members are expected to remain there until at least Oct. 15.)

At St. Croix, Assistant Chief Mather and his team assisted, stabilized, and ultimately flew out of the Virgin Islands with 43 patients aboard a C-17 military transport, working alongside a USAF Critical Care Air Transport Team (CCATT).

“Assistant Chief Mather and his team saved numerous lives while in Florida and St. Croix, and they helped ensure that proper, professional medical care was never far away, even in the face of a damaged hospital and a seemingly unending string of terrible weather,” Chief Berkenbush said.

Teams like MA-1 deploy when aid is requested by a state, tribal, or territorial government, and they remain on site until their help is no longer needed. The work is coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The team members have regular jobs related to their roles on the team, and are federal employees when deployed to a disaster, event, or official training activity.  Disaster Medical Assistance Teams are rapid-response units comprised of physicians, nurses, paramedics, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, mental health clinicians and support personnel.

“It is an honor to travel with my fellow team members to parts of the United States that have suffered through this horrific hurricane season. For us, this work is just part of our jobs. It is something we hope we never have to do, but if a disaster struck New England we know that our brothers and sisters from all across the nation would come here to help us,” Assistant Chief Mather said. “While in Florida and St. Croix, I was truly blown away by the resiliency and dedication of the first responders already on site. It was a true team effort.”

Assistant Chief Mather has been with the Amesbury Fire Rescue Department since 2000 and has been with the DMAT since 2007. He has been a national registry paramedic since 1992. He oversees emergency medical services and training for the Amesbury Fire Rescue Department.

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Whitman Firefighters Complete FEMA, State Emergency Preparedness Courses

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Whitman Fire Department
Timothy J. Grenno, Fire Chief
56 Temple St.
Whitman, MA 02382

For Immediate Release

Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017

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

Whitman Firefighters Complete FEMA, State Emergency Preparedness Courses

WHITMAN — Chief Timothy J. Grenno is pleased to report that three firefighters have completed courses issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Department of Fire Services Massachusetts Fire Training Council to better operations at Whitman Fire-Rescue.

Firefighter Matthew Busch recently completed FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute’s independent study course, “An Introduction to Exercises.” The web-based, interactive, five-hour course is designed to give firefighters an overview on exercise creation, development and implementation within their department. Busch, who has been with Whitman Fire-Rescue since 2008, is the department’s EMS Coordinator and also a paramedic.

“Forms Used for the Development of the Incident Action Plan,” another web-based FEMA course, was completed by Lt. Robert Hover. The class, which focuses on the National Incident Management System’s Incident Command System (ICS), is tailored for department leaders who are expected to serve as command staff during an emergency situation. Lt. Hover, who has been with the department for over 30 years, is one of three lieutenants who serve as Chief Grenno’s command staff for Whitman Fire-Rescue.

Lt. Timothy Clancy also completed a course designed for command staff or those leading department exercises or instruction. On Nov. 29, Lt. Clancy was certified as a Fire Instructor 1 by the Department of Fire Services Massachusetts Fire Training Council. The course, which included 35 hours of classroom instruction and 25 hours of online coursework, certifies firefighters to formally teach firefighting principles outlined by the state to their respective departments. Lt. Clancy has served Whitman Fire-Rescue since 1997.

“I commend these firefighters for going above and beyond their call of duty to educate themselves and not only further their own careers, but also better equip our department,” Chief Grenno said. “The more our firefighters know, the better they can protect Whitman residents and communicate with one another.”

Chief Grenno recently completed FEMA’s National Fire Academy course, “Emergency Medical Services: Incident Operations,” which took place at the National Fire Academy Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The six-day course reviews the ICS and management techniques for medium to large situations, which, by definition, involves multiple people who are ill or injured in the incident.

All courses were completed at the end of 2016.

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Video: Gloucester Fire Department Implements New Breathing Apparatus

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Gloucester Fire Department
Eric Smith, Fire Chief
8 School St.
Gloucester, MA 01930

For Immediate Release

Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016

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

Video: Gloucester Fire Department Implements New Breathing Apparatus

GLOUCESTER — Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken and Chief Eric Smith are pleased to announce that the Gloucester Fire Department has purchased and implemented new self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) for the entire department.

On Monday, Oct. 17, Gloucester firefighters began training with the 45 new SCBA units, which include a harness, backpack, face mask, and two cylinders. The new units provide ground-breaking technology to assist firefighters in finding the path of least resistance when in a burning building. Each pack also emits a radio frequency which can be picked up by nearby packs, helping rescuers locate both one another and the safest route out of a structure.

The new equipment was purchased through a $323,091 Assistance to Firefighters Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The City of Gloucester provided a 10 percent match of $32,309 to accompany the federal grant, totaling $355,400 for the replacement of all of the department’s old SCBA units. The new units went into service on all apparatus on Oct 31.

“I am grateful to both FEMA, Mayor Theken and the City Council for their support and funding of the Gloucester Fire Department in purchasing this new equipment,” Chief Smith said. “The city has been instrumental in understanding the needs of the department and furthering our development for the betterment of the community.”

“These new Airpacks will allow Gloucester firefighters to better serve residents during emergencies,” Mayor Theken said. “I am proud to support their efforts to stay up-to-date with the best, most effective safety measures for officials and civilians alike.

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Newbury Fire Department Receives Grant to Update Communications System

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Newbury Fire Department
Chief Nathan Walker
3 Morgan Ave.
Newbury, MA 019510

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016

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

Newbury Fire Department Receives Grant to Update Communications System

NEWBURY — Fire Chief Nathan Walker is pleased to announce that the Newbury Fire Department received a $157,189 Assistance to Firefighters Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

This money will be used to purchase new communications equipment for use in the station and by firefighters in the field. The department will replace mobile devices in the apparatus and introduce dual mobile radios in command vehicles for better communication at emergency scenes. In addition, firefighters will get portable radios with mayday capabilities, which will increase their safety while on scene.

“I am incredibly pleased that the Newbury Fire Department has been awarded this extremely beneficial grant to better our communications, the backbone of fire safety and efficiency,” Chief Walker said. “Between Plum Island, Byfield, and Newbury, the Fire Department covers over 26 miles of land, making this grant to improve our communications even more vital.”

The goal of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant is to meet the needs of fire departments and non-affiliated emergency medical service organizations. Since 2001, the grants have helped firefighters and other first responders obtain critically needed equipment, gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.

“Our firefighters play an integral role in keeping our communities safe,” Congressman Seth Moulton said. “They deserve top-quality equipment to do their jobs, and this federal grant will enable Chief Walker and the Newbury Fire Department to make critical updates to their communications equipment. I’m grateful to the Department of Homeland Security for recognizing the need to invest in our local fire departments.”

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