update

SEMLEC Provides Update on SWAT Officer Injured During Training Exercise Wednesday

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, April 6, 2018

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

SEMLEC Provides Update on SWAT Officer Injured During Training Exercise Wednesday

Injured Officer Released From Hospital

Note for media members: Today at 3:45 p.m. at the Bridgewater Police Department, 220 Pleasant St., SEMLEC President and Bridgewater Police Chief Christopher Delmonte and SEMLEC SWAT Assistant Control Chief and Carver Police Chief Marc Duphily will be available to speak to the media.

BRIDGEWATER – The Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council, Bridgewater Police Chief Christopher Delmonte and Middleborough Police Chief Joseph Perkins would like to provide an update on the Middleborough Police Officer that was injured during a training exercise on Wednesday, and the subsequent investigation.

A preliminary investigation indicates that on Wednesday, April 4, the officer was using a 37mm projectile launcher loaded with training rounds to aid in a SWAT training exercise in Bridgewater, when the device exploded in his hands.

The device was a Model 201-Z Federal 1.5 Caliber Gas Gun (using 37mm rounds).

The ensuing investigation by Bridgewater Police indicates that the device malfunctioned in the officers hands while he was training to do his job in the normal performance of his duties.The device broke into several pieces and a portion of the barrel was split in half.

The officer, whose name is not being released publicly, was released from the hospital on Thursday and is back home and in good spirits. He underwent successful surgery on one of his hands and will now begin a rehabilitation and recovery process.

“I am very glad to see that our officer is back home with his family and I would like to thank the staff at Mass. General for the great care that they provided and their hospitality for the many officers and family members that went to visit him,” Chief Perkins said. “I would like to commend our officer for his high spirits and professionalism during this unfortunate ordeal. We wish him a speedy recovery and everyone in Middleborough and the 30 communities that SEMLEC represents sends their well wishes and positive thoughts.”

The injuries sustained to his left hand include severe lacerations and the permanent partial amputation of one of his finger tips.

The investigation into the incident is still ongoing by the Bridgewater Police Department. The use of the projectile launcher and training rounds used will be suspended by SEMLEC while the investigation remains open.

Other local law enforcement councils and SWAT units will be notified of the situation to help prevent any similar incidents from occurring.

Investigators will be contacting the manufacturer of the projectile launcher and training rounds to determine what went wrong.

“All factors will be looked at, including the age of the device, the training round that was used and whether there were any defects in the products. At this point, all indications are that it was not the officer’s error but a defective device that malfunctioned in his hands,” Chief Delmonte said. “This is life-saving training and while this incident was not typical, these officers are trained for dangerous situations and the training can sometimes pose inherent risks. These elite SEMLEC officers are part of one of the most highly-trained units in the region, with the singular mission of saving lives during a critical incident. This officer was training to do his job when he was injured in the performance of his duties.”

At approximately 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Bridgewater Police and Fire received a 911 call from a member of SEMLEC SWAT requesting an ambulance for an officer who sustained a hand injury during a training program on the exterior grounds of MCI Bridgewater.

Upon arrival, rescuers found the officer with a serious wound to one of his hands. The officer was treated at the scene and transported by a Bridgewater Fire Department ambulance to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.

While not carried by officers in the normal course of their duties, the 37mm launcher is used for a variety of SWAT operations including smoke screens, high visibility flares, decoy noisemaker rounds, “Flash Bang” style stun projectiles, and training rounds that emit smoke and/or noise.

At this time, it is not clear when or if the officer would be able to return to his duties.

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*Night Update* Bristol, Plymouth, Norfolk County Police and Fire Chiefs Provide Update on Today’s Nor’easter

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For Immediate Release
Tuesday, March 13, 2018

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

*Joint Release*

Bristol, Plymouth Norfolk County Police and Fire Chiefs Provide Update on Today’s Nor’easter

Police and fire chiefs from Attleboro, Bridgewater, Canton, East Bridgewater, Easton, Holbrook, Randolph, Raynham, Taunton and Whitman would like to provide residents with an evening update on where the communities stand regarding today’s storm since the update from this afternoon.

Please note that some communities have opened up warming shelters.

Snow has steadily been falling throughout the day and the blizzard warning issued by the National Weather Service was scheduled to end at 8 p.m. Snowfall is expected to be done in the region between midnight and 2 a.m. Wednesday.

As of 8 p.m., there were about 191,000 residents in the state without power, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) outage map.

Now that it is dark, residents are still urged to stay off the roads as some areas are experiencing near-whiteout conditions.

Anyone who has an emergency should call 911.

ATTLEBORO

Fire Chief Scott. T. Lachance reports that there were about 2,000 residents without power as of 7 p.m. National Grid crews were in the city working to restore electricity.

A warming station will is open at the South Attleboro fire station, 1476 South Ave. Use the shelter to charge cell phones and electronic devices and to stay warm if you are without power. Anyone with questions about the warming station can call the Attleboro Fire Department at 508-222-2325.

While there have been multiple trees and wires down, almost all roads in Attleboro are currently open.

BRIDGEWATER

Police Chief Christopher Delmonte reports that the police department responded to approximately 50 storm-related calls beginning at 8 a.m. today. The fire department also responded to a similar number of calls.

As of 7:30 p.m. there were 687 residents without power. At the height of the storm the town had over 3,000 outages.

CANTON

Fire Chief Charles Doody reports that Canton had about 25 power outages as of 7:30 p.m.

In total, the fire department responded to 10 calls for service throughout the day.

EAST BRIDGEWATER

Police Chief Scott Allen and Fire Chief Timothy Harhen report that the police and fire departments responded to nearly 60 calls for service in relation to the storm beginning at 7:30 a.m. today.

Most of the calls were for road hazards, such as fallen trees and wires. The fire department provided mutual aid to West Bridgewater for a structure fire this afternoon and went to another call for burned food.

National Grid was in town actively working to restore about 618 outages as of 7:30 p.m. Please note, there is a power outage at the end of Central Street near the Hanson line that may not have power by the morning. Crews are working to make repairs.

Residents needing shelter for the night can go to a Red Cross regional shelter at the First Congregational Church at 254 Main St. in Plympton or the Plymouth North High School at 41 Obery St. in Plymouth.

While all roads are currently open and passable in town, residents are warned to use extreme caution and only drive if it is absolutely necessary.

EASTON

Fire Chief Kevin Partridge and Police Chief Gary Sullivan report that progress is being made in trying to get the number of power outages in Easton down. As of 5:40 p.m. there were about 1,900 residents without power. By 7:30 p.m that number was down to 866. National Grid has more than a dozen crews working in town.

The warming center at the Richardson-Olmsted Elementary School, 101 Lothrop St., will be open until 10 p.m. tonight. For details about the warming center or if you are in need of assistance, call the Easton Fire Department at 508-230-3311.

There were still a dozen streets in town that were closed because of road hazards as of 7:30 p.m.

HOLBROOK

Police Chief William Smith reports that Holbrook had three car crashes throughout the day — two where drivers collided with plow trucks and another where a driver struck a utility pole. None of the crashes resulted in serious injury.

As of 7:30 p.m. there were about 35 residents without power, according the MEMA outage map.

RANDOLPH

Police Chief William Pace reports as of 7:30 p.m. only about 160 residents in town did not have electricity. Crews were working to make repairs.

Most of the calls for service that the police department responded to were for fallen trees and downed wires.

RAYNHAM

Police Chief James Donovan reports that the police department responded to three crashes throughout the day, including one where a driver collided with a plow truck on Route 138. None of the crashes resulted in serious injury.

Chief Donovan says that if residents must drive, they should be aware that the road surfaces are inconsistent and uneven and to use caution. He also warns that wind and snow drifts have cause some stop signs and traffic lights to be covered with snow.

Fire Chief James Januse reports that Raynham still has a small amount of scattered power outages throughout town. There are four roads in Raynham that are currently blocked with fallen trees and wires.

In total, the police department responded to 58 calls for service and the fire department went to 26 calls as of 7:30 p.m.

TAUNTON

Fire Chief Timothy Bradshaw reports that the fire department spent most of the day responding to downed trees and wires. There were also multiple crashes and a number of medical calls, some related to shoveling and snow blowing.

There are still areas without power in the city, but all issues were being addressed in a timely manner.

The fire department is currently staffing six engines and two ladders with a total of 30 firefighters tonight, which is about eight more than are on-duty than on a typical day.

WHITMAN

Fire Chief Timothy Grenno reports that the Whitman Fire Department dealt with a variety of issues throughout the day including multiple fallen utility poles, trees that fell on cars and trees blocking roads.

As of 7:30 p.m. there was about 1 percent of the town without power.

A warming center will be opening up at the Whitman-Hanson Regional High School at 9 a.m. for residents who need to utilize it.

Chief Grenno asks that residents shovel out fire hydrants that are near homes, which will help in the event of a fire.

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*Joint Release* Bristol, Plymouth Norfolk County Police and Fire Chiefs Provide Update on Today’s Nor’easter

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For Immediate Release
Tuesday, March 13, 2018

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

*Joint Release*

Bristol, Plymouth Norfolk County Police and Fire Chiefs Provide Update on Today’s Nor’easter

Police and fire chiefs from Attleboro, Bridgewater, Canton, East Bridgewater, Easton, Holbrook, Randolph, Raynham, Taunton and Whitman would like to provide residents with an afternoon update on how the communities are faring with today’s nor’easter.

The region lies in what is considered the “Jackpot Area,” which weather forecasters predict will receive the most amount of snowfall from the storm.

By 1 p.m. today much of the region has seen heavy snowfall and high wind speeds. Snow is expected to continue to fall steadily into Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service.

According to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) outage map, there were about 180,000 residents without power as of 1 p.m.

If you have an emergency call 911.

ATTLEBORO

Fire Chief Scott. T. Lachance reports that the city has been largely unaffected by power outages thus far. Chief Lachance is in contact with the city’s National Grid liaison regarding the 20 or so outages reported and they are being worked on.

Residents have been heeding the warnings about staying off the roads, making things easier for public safety vehicles and plows to operate.

The fire department provided mutual aid to Seekonk for a fire earlier this morning.

BRIDGEWATER

Police Chief Christopher Delmonte reports that the town has received numerous calls for fallen trees and downed wires since 7 a.m.

As of 1 p.m., Bridgewater had about 1,500 residents without power, according to the MEMA outage map.

Visibility was extremely limited with near-whiteout conditions.

CANTON

Fire Chief Charles Doody reports that the storm has had a limited impact on Canton as of 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Only six power outages were actively being worked on and the fire department responded to four storm-related calls for service.

Chief Doody reports that the town’s DPW is doing a good job keeping the roads open and that most people have heeded the warnings of staying off the roads.

EAST BRIDGEWATER

Police Chief Scott Allen reports that since 8 a.m. East Bridgewater Police have responded to 22 calls for service, including 14 calls for road hazards, trees down or wires down.

There are additional police cruisers strategically setup around town to be able to safely respond to calls for service. But residents should note that it may take additional time to respond safely to calls.

As of 1 p.m. about more than 600 residents in town were without power, particularly in the area of Robins Pond. The traffic lights in the center of town went down mid-morning and are still without power. National Grid has crews in town working to restore electricity.

Residents are urged to stay off the roads to allow DPW workers to clear the roadways safely.

EASTON

Fire Chief Kevin Partridge reports that as of 1 p.m. there were about 1,600 residents without power.

The fire department has received more than 48 calls for trees and/or wires down throughout the town. One tree went through the roof of a mobile home and the resident was displaced.

There are also 13 road closures currently.  Police are standing by at several areas with downed wires and trees.  Police Chief Sullivan is encouraging everyone to stay off the roads to allow the plows to continue to work and increase the safety for first responders as they handle calls for service.

A warming center has been opened at the Richardson-Olmsted Elementary School, 101 Lothrop St. Residents can use the shelter to charge their phones and electronic devices and stay warm. For more details about the warming center or if you are in need of assistance, call the Easton Fire Department at 508-230-3311.

HOLBROOK

Police Chief William Smith reports that Holbrook has gotten about six or seven inches of snow thus far and it is continuing to come down steadily.

Earlier this morning a tree fell down and hit a house on Holly Road. There were no injuries and the residents were able to stay inside the home.

There were only about five homes in town without power as of 1 p.m., according to MEMA’s outage map.

RANDOLPH

Police Chief William Pace reports that a tree fell onto a house on Mark Terrace Tuesday morning. No injuries were reported.

As of 1 p.m. the town had about 150 residents without power due to the storm.

Chief Pace urges residents to stay off the roads.

RAYNHAM

Fire Chief James Januse reports that Raynham has had scattered power outages throughout town. As of 1 p.m., the Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant website listed about 15 streets in town where outages had been reported.

The town’s highway department has been doing a great job of clearing the roads, Chief Januse said.

There have been fallen trees in town but no injuries reported.

Police Chief James Donovan reports that the police department has responded to 43 calls for service, including a three-car crash on Route 138. Chief Donovan notes that residents have done a good job staying off the roads today.

TAUNTON

The City of Taunton declared a State of Emergency Tuesday morning and residents are urged to stay in their homes.

Fire Chief Timothy Bradshaw reports that the Taunton Fire Department has responded to more than 50 calls for service since 6 a.m. in the city.

Most of the calls were for fallen trees and wires. There were also multiple motor vehicle crashes.

The fire department is coordinating with the Parks and Recreation Department to remove fallen trees from roadways.

The Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant has over 75 streets in Taunton where outages have been reported.

Chief Bradshaw will be adding additional apparatus to be in commission from 2 p.m. through midnight, as he anticipates the call volume to increase as the day goes on.

WHITMAN

Fire Chief Timothy Grenno reports that the Whitman Fire Department has been dealing with a variety of issues today including multiple fallen utility poles, trees that fell on cars and trees blocking roads. They have responded to 25 emergency calls since 8 a.m.

As of 1 p.m., there were only about 250 residents without power, according to the MEMA outage map.

Chief Grenno asks that residents who have emergencies to call 911 and not the department’s business line. They will be able to track the calls and dispatch necessary services better.

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Bedford, N.H. Police Provide Storm Update

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Bedford Police Department
John J. Bryfonski, Chief of Police
55 Constitution Drive
Bedford, NH 03110

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017

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

Bedford, N.H. Police Provide Storm Update

Trick-or-Treating Postponed to Nov. 5

BEDFORD, N.H. — Chief John J. Bryfonski and the Bedford Police Department seek to provide members of the public with an update on the conditions in town and the repair/clean-up efforts underway.

Bedford was hit hard by the overnight storm on Sunday. As a result, the Town of Bedford has postponed the official trick-or-treating day and time to Sunday, Nov. 5 from 2-6 p.m.

“It was deemed necessary to postpone trick-or-treating in order to ensure the safety of the children and families in our community as work crews perform their vital work,” Chief Bryfonski said.

Portions of the following roads remain closed Tuesday:

  • Oak Drive by #3
  • Old English Road by #11
  • Ministerial Road by #65
  • Ministerial Road by Chandler Road
  • McAllister Road by #28
  • Forest Drive by #80
  • Constance Street between #22-44
  • Buttonwood by Deacon
  • Barrington Drive
  • Meadowcrest Drive by #63
  • Pinecrest Drive by #54

NOTE: THIS LIST OF CONDITIONS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

Chief Bryfonski urges residents who do not need to be on the roads to keep the streets clear to help crews work unabated. If you must be on the roads, use extreme caution.

Electrical hazards remain in town, and all residents and motorists are cautioned to avoid live or downed wires, even if you suspect the wires are cable or telephone lines. Downed wires pose hazards to all, and town crews must be assisted by Eversource on-site before final cleanups can be completed. Always keep a safe distance from downed wires.

Generator Safety

Approximately 15 percent of Eversource customers in Bedford remain without power at this time.

For those using generators, the Bedford Police Department urgently remind residents to use extreme caution and allow for proper ventilation. Never use a generator indoors or inside a garage. Keep generators away from HVAC air intakes.

For more generator safety tips, visit Redcross.org.

Free Drinking/Cooking Water Available 

Potable water is available at the Bedford Public Safety Complex, located at 55 Constitution Drive.

Decision on Schools Coming Wednesday Morning

The Bedford School District will inform the community as to whether or not schools will be open on Wednesday. That announcement is expected no later than 5 a.m. Wednesday.

“On behalf of the men and women of the Bedford Police Department, I wish to thank all of our residents for their patience and cooperation,” Chief Bryfonski said. “And as always, if you see something, say something.”

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