Whitman Fire Department

Whitman Fire Department Warns Residents About Unsafe Ice Conditions

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

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019

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

Whitman Fire Department Warns Residents About Unsafe Ice Conditions

WHITMAN — With multiple ice rescues in the state yesterday, Chief Timothy Grenno would like to warn Whitman residents to avoid unsafe ice conditions and remind people that ice rinks are the only places considered safe to skate.

Though temperatures have been on the colder side recently, Whitman officials warn that at this time it has not been cold enough for long enough to make it safe to walk, skate or fish on the ice in any waterway in Whitman.

As a policy, the Whitman Fire Department does not certify whether any bodies of water are safe to use for recreational purposes. Those who do choose to go out on ice should stay away from all ice in the area of open water, flowing water or where the ice looks slushy or thin. 

Chief Grenno and the Whitman Fire Department offer the following general ice safety guidelines to all residents:

Thin Ice:

The Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs says ice should always be measured in multiple places before testing it with your weight. Ice 2 inches thick or less should be avoided completely.

Ice with a depth of 4 inches or more is considered safe for ice fishing or other activities on foot. Five inches of ice is recommended for snowmobiles or ATVs. Eight to 12 inches is necessary for a small car, while 12 to 15 inches of ice is necessary for trucks.

General Ice and Cold Water Safety:

  • Never go onto ice alone. A friend may be able to rescue you or go for help if you fall through the ice.
  • Always keep your pets on a leash. If a pet falls through the ice, do not attempt a rescue. Call 911 instead.
  • New ice is usually stronger than old ice. As the ice ages, the bond between the crystals decay, making it weaker, even if melting has not occurred.
  • Beware of ice covered with snow. Snow can insulate ice and keep it strong, but can also insulate it to keep it from freezing.
  • Slush is a danger sign, indicating that ice is no longer freezing from the bottom and can be weak or deteriorating.
  • Ice formed over flowing water (rivers or lakes containing a large number of springs) is generally weaker than pond ice.
  • Ice seldom freezes or thaws at a uniform rate. It can be one foot thick in one spot and be only 1 inch thick 10 feet away.

What To Do If Someone Falls Through Ice:

  • Reach-Throw-Go: If someone falls through the ice and you are unable to reach that person from shore, try to throw them something (rope, jumper cables, tree branch, etc.) If this does not work, call 911 and get away from the ice before you also become a victim. Get medical assistance for the victim immediately.
  • If you fall in, try not to panic. Turn toward the direction you came from. Place your hands and arms on the unbroken surface, working forward by kicking your feet. Once out, remain lying on the ice (do not stand) and roll away from the hole. Crawl back to your tracks, keeping your weight distributed until you return to solid ice.

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Whitman Fire Chief Reminds Residents of Outdoor Burning Rules

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

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019

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

Whitman Fire Chief Reminds Residents of Outdoor Burning Rules

WHITMAN — Chief Timothy J. Grenno announces that the State Open Burning Season will begin on Tuesday, Jan. 15 and run through May 1.

For those residents who need to apply for a permit, they are asked to come to the Whitman Fire station, 56 Temple St., to fill out the required paperwork. The permits are free.

Residents who have already obtained permits need to call 781-618-9872 on the day they wish to burn. Callers will hear a message which will inform them if burning is allowed that day and instruct them to leave their name, address and permit number.

If burning is not allowed that day, the phone message will say so.

Residents should not call the Fire Department business line for burning authorization.

If you have obtained a permit in the past, the permits carry over from year to year and you do not need to apply for a new one.

“We want to thank our residents in advance for following the proper open burning laws and remind folks that if they have an emergency while burning to call 911,” Chief Grenno said.

Outdoor burning is only permitted for brush, cane, driftwood, forestry debris, agricultural debris and — under certain conditions — fungus-infected elm wood. Burning grass, hay, leaves, stumps, and commercial or industrial land clearing for non-agricultural purposes is prohibited.

Violations of the permit requirements, open burning law and/or open burning regulations will be grounds for permit revocation. According to Massachusetts law, anyone found burning without a permit may be subject to criminal charges, the punishment for which is a fine of up to $500, plus the cost of suppression, or by imprisonment for up to one month, or both.

 

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Whitman Fire Department Receives Grants to Support Fire Education Programs

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

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019

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

Whitman Fire Department Receives Grants to Support Fire Education Programs

WHITMAN — Chief Timothy J. Grenno is pleased to announce that the Whitman Fire Department has been awarded two grants that will help support the department’s ongoing Student Awareness of Fire Education (S.A.F.E.) programs.

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

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 74 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.

The grant funds will be used to educate students in the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District on the importance of fire safety and personal safety. The Senior S.A.F.E. funds will go toward assisting the town’s older population in home fire safety and purchasing and installing smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in their homes.

“These programs are essential in helping to educate some of our residents who are most at-risk for being injured or killed in a fire,” Chief Grenno said. “The S.A.F.E. programs allow our firefighters to meet directly with our citizens to teach them some valuable and life-saving safety tips. We are thankful to the Department of Fire Services for their support.”

 

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Whitman Fire Department Extinguishes Chimney Fire at Home

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

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018

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

Whitman Fire Department Extinguishes Chimney Fire at Home

WHITMAN — Chief Timothy J. Grenno reports that the Whitman Fire Department extinguished a chimney fire at a home Wednesday morning.

At approximately 11 a.m., the Whitman Fire Department responded to a single-family home at 83 Westwood Drive for a report of a fire.

Upon arrival, flames were coming from the chimney of the home. All of the residents had made it safely out of the house. Firefighters worked to quickly extinguish the flames and prevented the fire from spreading into the home.

No injuries were reported.

The initial investigation indicates that the fire started due to creosote buildup in the chimney flue. The homeowner was using a wood-burning stove to heat the home.

The chimney sustained about $500 in damage and there was minor smoke damage in the living room of the house. The residents will not be displaced as a result of the fire.

The Hanson Fire Department provided station coverage and the scene was cleared around 12:30 p.m.

The incident is the second house fire that the Whitman Fire Department responded to in three days. On Christmas Eve, three families were displaced after a fire inside a multi-family home on Linden Street. After extinguishing the fire, firefighters were able to safely collect the Christmas presents that were inside and give them to the affected families.

To prevent chimney fires, the Whitman Fire Department recommends that residents:

  • Have your chimney flue cleaned before each heating season and burn only dry, well-seasoned, hardwood to reduce creosote accumulation.
  • Be sure to check the combustion chamber for damage and look for corrosion or damage to the vent before using.
  • Never use flammable liquids to start a fire.
  • Be sure that the damper of the chimney is open before lighting a fire. Failure to do so can result in an accumulation of smoke and carbon monoxide within the home. Do not close the damper before the fire has died out and the embers are cold.
  • Use a fireplace screen to prevent flying sparks and embers from falling out onto the floor.
  • Install and maintain smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
  • Be sure to properly dispose of ashes from chimneys and stoves. Ashes should be shoveled into a metal bucket with a metal lid, placed outside, on the ground, away from the building, to prevent fires. Do not place ashes into a paper bag or cardboard box, as ashes and embers can stay hot for days and ignite combustibles.

 

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