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Groveland Fire Department Debuts New Squad 1 Vehicle

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Groveland Fire Department
Richard York, Interim Fire Chief
Public Safety Building
181 Main St
Groveland, MA 01834

For Immediate Release

Friday, Jan. 11, 2019

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003

Groveland Fire Department Debuts New Squad 1 Vehicle

The Groveland Fire Department has a new Squad 1 vehicle that is now in service. (Courtesy Photo Groveland Fire Department)

GROVELAND — Interim Fire Chief Richard York is pleased to announce that the Groveland Fire Department’s new Squad 1 vehicle is now in service.

A 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe 4X4, the Squad 1 truck arrived in late December and is a registered Class V ambulance, operating at the Basic Life Support level.

Firefighters will take Squad 1 to all medical calls, motor vehicle crashes and other calls for service, as needed. The truck is equipped with EpiPens, Albuterol, Narcan, glucose, glucometers, an AED, and all other necessary medical equipment.

The new Squad 1 vehicle, which was approved at last year’s Town Meeting, replaces the department’s 1995 Ford F-450.

“This vehicle is more maneuverable and will be invaluable during calls for service because it is able to get into tight areas, which we we are not able to do with our engine, ladder or former Squad 1 vehicle,” Chief York said.

The department’s new Squad 1 is its third registered Class V ambulance, along with Engine 1 and Squad 2.

 

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Georgetown Fire Department Receives Grants for Fire Safety Education

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Georgetown Fire Department
Fred A. Mitchell Jr., Fire Chief
47 Central Street
Georgetown, MA 01833

For Immediate Release

Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Georgetown Fire Department Receives Grants for Fire Safety Education

GEORGETOWN —  Chief Fred A. Mitchell Jr. is pleased to announce that the Georgetown Fire Department received two grants to support its Student Awareness of Fire Education (S.A.F.E.) programs.

The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services awarded the Georgetown Fire Department $3,754 for its S.A.F.E. Program and an additional $2,400 for its Senior S.A.F.E. Program.

These two programs help fund the department’s annual open house activities and fire education materials for students, along with making initiatives like lock boxes and free smoke/carbon monoxide detectors possible for seniors.

“We are extremely grateful to the Department of Fire Services for supporting our fire safety programs for students and seniors,” Chief Mitchell said. “Our goal is to ensure that our community, starting with children and continuing well into residents’ adult lives, are aware of how to protect themselves and their belongings in the event of a fire or emergency.”

The S.A.F.E. Program is a state initiative designed to provide resources to local fire departments to conduct fire and life safety education programs for children in kindergarten through 12th grade. The program aims to enable students to recognize fire hazards and teach key safety behaviors that should be used anytime a child comes into contact with a fire. Since the S.A.F.E. program’s inception in 1995, the average annual number of child deaths caused by a fire has fallen by 72 percent in Massachusetts.

Senior S.A.F.E. is a similar program that was created to support fire safety education specifically for older adults, who are most at risk of dying in a fire in Massachusetts. The program builds on the success of the original S.A.F.E. program and helps forge a connection between fire departments and a variety of senior support agencies working in their communities.

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Statement of Amesbury Officials in Response to Charges against Firefighter

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Statement of Amesbury Officials in Response to Charges against Firefighter

AMESBURY — Mayor Ken Gray, Fire Chief Kenneth E. Berkenbush and Police Chief William A. Scholtz have taken swift and decisive action after allegations of overtime abuse by members of the Amesbury Fire Department were brought forward earlier this year.

In May, Chief Berkenbush was informed of overtime abuses allegedly perpetrated by two fire lieutenants. They were accused of putting in for payment for shifts they did not work. Chief Berkenbush notified Mayor Gray and Chief Scholtz, and the Mayor ordered the Amesbury Police Department to begin a detailed investigation of the facts and circumstances. That investigation resulted today in the indictment of Scott Cloutier, as announced by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office.

Cloutier has been on administrative leave since May and will face disciplinary action up to and including termination pending the result of a hearing that will determine his employment status. A second firefighter was also placed on leave in May regarding the same type of alleged overtime abuse, and that investigation remains ongoing.

“The indictment today alleges that a city employee stole from Amesbury taxpayers by requesting and accepting pay for shifts he did not work. These actions have consequences, and it’s now up to the courts to determine how justice will be served,” Mayor Gray said. “However, I want to emphasize that these actions do not overshadow the work of the rest of the hard-working and brave members of the Amesbury Fire Department, who show up for work every day and take great risks to keep our community safe.”

A third employee was also placed on leave in May, but the investigation cleared him of criminal wrongdoing, and he has returned to work.

“The abuse of overtime represents a betrayal of trust and a theft of taxpayer money, and I am very disappointed in the alleged actions of two of the senior members of the fire department,” Chief Berkenbush said. “These incidents appear to be isolated, and the members of the Amesbury Fire Department have no tolerance for this activity.”

Amesbury Police Lieutenant Detective Kevin F. Donovan led the investigation, working with the Massachusetts State Police and the Essex County District Attorney’s Office. The Fire Department cooperated fully with the investigation.

This situation has led to changes in the supervision and keeping of overtime records, overtime policies and practices, and Mayor Gray and Chief Berkenbush are in the process of bringing in an independent consultant to conduct an administrative review of the facts and circumstances and to make further recommendations.

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Resident Reunites With Members of Newburyport Police and Fire Departments Who Helped Save Her Life

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For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Resident Reunites With Members of Newburyport Police and Fire Departments Who Helped Save Her Life

NEWBURYPORT — Members of the Newburyport Police and Fire Departments met with a woman whose life they helped save last Christmas.

On Friday, Jan. 5, Officer Eric Marshall, along with Lt. Kevin Parseghian, firefighters Dennis Bligh and Fred Elwell and EMT Patrick Brown met Newburyport resident Jackie Ames at the police department so she could thank them for helping to save her life.

“We were touched to have Jackie stop by the department to meet the first responders who were called to the scene for her medical emergency,” City Marshal Mark Murray said. “They enjoyed meeting her and seeing that she had made a full recovery.”

On Christmas Day in 2017, just after 9:30 p.m., Newburyport Police responded to 2 Colby Farm Lane on a report of an individual having difficulty breathing.

Upon arriving to the scene, Officer Marshall learned that a woman, who turned out to be Ames, was not breathing and appeared to be in severe respiratory arrest.

Officer Marshall began administering CPR until members of the fire department could arrive. Ames was then transported via ambulance to Anna Jaques Hospital.

“I commend members of the Newburyport Fire and Police Departments who quickly responded to Jackie’s home and were able to immediately render aid and get her to the hospital,” Fire Chief Christopher LeClaire said. “This reunion was a great holiday surprise that made firefighters’ day.”

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