Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Motor Vehicle Crash at Julia Bancroft School

August 27, 2014


The Auburn Fire Rescue Department responded to a single car motor vehicle crash this evening at 9:02 pm.  Upon arrival crews found a pickup truck that had crashed into the main entrance of Julia Bancroft School located at 3 Vinal Street.

The driver of the vehicle sustained minor injuries and was not transported to the hospital by ambulance.  The Building Inspector was called to the scene to inspect for any structural damage.  The Auburn Police Department is investigating the cause of the accident.





Contact
Asst. Chief Glenn Johnson
508-832-7800
gjohnson@town.auburn.ma.us

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Auburn Fire Rescue Launches New Media Blog

August 12, 2014


The Auburn Fire Rescue Department has launched a news media blog on it's website titled "The Press Room".

The blog is a resource for news outlets to review current and past activity of the department and to allow quicker access to post press releases. When a press release is posted the departments Public Information Office will e-mail the link to the media instead of sending a traditional press release as was done in the past. This new online format will allow the media to see the release via the web on a smart phone instead of needing products such as Microsoft or Open Office to view the release.

Releases may also be posted to our Facebook and Twitter accounts. Assistant Chief Glenn Johnson designed and manages "The Press Room". To access The Press Room visit our website at auburnmassfire.org and click on The Press Room link at the top of the page.


Contact
Asst. Chief Glenn Johnson
508-832-7800
gjohnson@town.auburn.ma.us

Mulch Fire Safety

April 7, 2014


Spring is the traditional time for sprucing up landscaping around our buildings and this
spring will be the second with a mulch fire safety regulation in effect. The regulation
was developed in response to several significant fires in the Commonwealth involving
mulch-wood products. The most recent was this past weekend in Foxborough at the
Lakeview Pavilion, a popular wedding destination. The building caught fire after a
cigarette was discarded in the mulch. Auburn Fire Rescue Chief Stephen M. Coleman
Jr. wants to alert landscaping companies, nurseries, building owners and managers
about the proper placement and storage of mulch in order to prevent fires.

The revised regulation, 527 CMR 17  , took effect in September 2012 and prohibits
the new application of mulch within 18” around combustible exteriors of buildings,
such as wood or vinyl but not brick or concrete.

The revised regulation also has safety requirements for those who store or manufacture mulch. It limits
the size of mulch piles and requires a distance of 30-feet between piles and 25-feet from the lot line.
Large piles of mulch can easily spontaneously combust with all the heat they generate, so it’s important
to be vigilant and employ good housekeeping. The distance between piles prevents a fire in one from
easily spreading to another or to a building. Permits are required from the fire department wherever
more than 300 cubic yards of mulch is produced or stored.

Below is a safety brochure on how to prevent mulch fires. Any questions should be directed to Captain
Stephen Anderson in the Bureau of Community Risk Reduction, 508-407-7630.
Mulch FireFactor- a one-page, 2-sided educational hand-out on mulch fire safety and the regulation.


Contact:   Chief Stephen M. Coleman Jr.
                508-832-7800
                scoleman@town.auburn.ma.us

WRTA Bus Crash

June 24, 2013


A Worcester Regional Transportation Authority bus crashed into a home at 24 Swanson Rd. in Auburn
Monday night. The call was received at 5:07 p.m. On arrival there were 8 people injured from the
accident.

Ambulances from Worcester EMS, Oxford, Leicester and Auburn transported the patients to both St.
Vincent’s Hospital and UMASS University Campus. Auburn’s Rescue 1 was assisted on scene by
Worcester Fire Department’s Rescue 1. “The extrication was very lengthy and complicated”, said
Auburn Fire Chief Stephen M. Coleman Jr. It took an hour and fifteen minutes to remove the driver of
the WRTA bus.

At the time of the accident there was a mother and her three children in the home. They were all taken
to the hospital for minor injuries.


Contact:  Chief Stephen M. Coleman Jr.
               508-832-7800
               scoleman@town.auburn.ma.us

Mulch Fire Safety

May 14, 2013


Spring is the traditional time for sprucing up landscaping around our buildings and this
spring will be the first one with a new mulch fire safety regulation in effect. The
regulation was developed in response to several significant fires in the Commonwealth
involving mulch-wood products. Auburn Fire Chief Stephen M. Coleman Jr. wants to
alert landscaping companies, nurseries, building owners and managers about the proper
placement and storage of mulch in order to prevent fires.

The revised regulation, 527 CMR 17  , took effect last September and prohibits the
new application of mulch within 18” around combustible exteriors of buildings, such as
wood or vinyl but not brick or concrete.
 
The revised regulation also has safety requirements for those who store or manufacture mulch. It limits
the size of mulch piles and requires a distance of 30-feet between piles and 25-feet from the lot line.
Large piles of mulch can easily spontaneously combust with all the heat they generate, so it’s important
to be vigilant and employ good housekeeping. The distance between piles prevents a fire in one from
easily spreading to another or to a building. Permits are required from the fire department wherever
more than 300 cubic yards of mulch is produced or stored.

Below is a safety brochure on how to prevent mulch fires. Any questions should be directed to Captain
Stephen Anderson in the Bureau of Fire Prevention and Investigation, 508-407-7630.
Mulch FireFactor- a one-page, 2-sided educational hand-out on mulch fire safety and the regulation.


Contact:  Chief Stephen M. Coleman Jr.
               508-832-7800
               scoleman@town.auburn.ma.us

Auburn Firefighter Graduates State Firefighting Academy

March 30, 2013


State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan and Massachusetts Firefighting Academy
Director Edmund M. Walker are pleased to announce the graduation of the 198th class of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy’s sixty-day Recruit
Firefighting Program on March 29, 2013. “This rigorous professional training
provides our newest firefighters with the basic skills to perform their jobs
effectively and safely,” Coan said. The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy
(MFA), a division of the Department of Fire Services, offers this program,
tuition-free. The ceremony took place at the Department of Fire Services in
Stow, MA.

68 Graduates from 40 Fire Departments 
The 68 graduates represent 40 departments including Auburn, which graduated
Firefighter/Paramedic Brian Sheridan. The communities with graduates include
Bedford, Bellingham, Braintree, Chelmsford, Concord, Danvers, Dracut, East
Longmeadow, Framingham, Franklin, Gardner, Gloucester, Greenfield,
Holyoke, Hopedale, Leominster, Lexington, Longmeadow, Lowell, Lynn,
Mansfield, Mashpee, Melrose, Middleborough, Nahant, North Andover,
Northampton, Norton, Orleans, Plainville, Salem, Somerville, Stoughton,
Wayland, Westfield, Westford, Winchester, Winthrop and Woburn.

Guest Speaker Marshfield Fire Chief Kevin Robinson
The guest speaker was Marshfield Fire Chief Kevin Robinson. Last November a
Marshfield firefighter was trapped in a structural collapse in a neighboring town.
The immediate implementation of rapid intervention team mode and a recently
practiced May Day policy lead to a quick rescue. Chief Robinson, also an
instructor at the MFA, said, “This incident underscores that a firefighter’s
training only starts with the recruit program and continues throughout our
careers.”

Today’s Firefighters Do Far More than Fight Fires
Today’s firefighters do far more than fight fires. They are the first ones called to
respond to chemical and environmental emergencies ranging from the suspected
presence of carbon monoxide to a gas leak. They may be called to rescue a child
who has fallen through the ice or who has locked himself in a bathroom. They
rescue people from stalled elevators and those who are trapped in vehicle
accidents. They test and maintain their equipment, ranging from self-contained
breathing apparatus to hydrants to hoses, power tools, and apparatus.

At the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy they learn all these skills and more
from certified fire instructors who are also experienced firefighters. Students
learn all the basic skills they need to respond to fires and to contain and control
them. They are also given training in public fire education, hazardous material
incident mitigation, flammable liquids, stress management, water rescue
procedures, confined space rescue techniques, and rappelling. The intensive, 12-
week program for municipal firefighters; involves classroom instruction,
physical fitness training, firefighter skills training and live fire practice.

Basic Firefighter Skills 
Students receive classroom training in all basic firefighter skills. They practice
first under non-fire conditions and then during controlled fire conditions. To
graduate, students must demonstrate proficiency in life safety, search and
rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation, and fire attack. Fire
attack operations range from mailbox fires to multiple-floor or multiple room
structural fires. Upon successful completion of the Recruit Program all students
have met national standards of National Fire Protection Association 1001 and
are certified to the level of Firefighter I and II, and Hazardous Materials First
Responder Operational Level by the Massachusetts Fire Training Council.


Contact:  Chief Stephen M. Coleman Jr.
               508-832-7800
               scoleman@town.auburn.ma.us

Auburn Fire Department Launches Facebook and Twitter Pages

February 25, 2013


Fire Chief Stephen M. Coleman Jr. has announced that the Auburn Fire/Rescue Department has
recently launched a Facebook and Twitter page that can be used during emergency situations. The
pages will be used to keep the public informed during situations like major snow storms, hurricanes,
major road closures, etc.

“We recognize that social media has become a major part of our lives today. This is another
way that our department is trying to keep the public informed about situations that may affect their
lives” Chief Coleman said. The department intends to post safety related messages periodically to
remind people of certain actions that they can take to keep themselves safe during certain seasons of
the year. “For instance we will post a reminder to change the batteries in your smoke detectors when it
is time to change your clocks. Or to shovel out fire hydrants on your property when they are covered in
snow.”

The department has been working to try and have a greater presence on the web to both assist
and inform the public on the mission of the Auburn Fire/Rescue Department. The department’s website
has had a major transformation over the past two years with the assistance of the departments web
master Firefighter/Paramedic Adam LaFlash. The site has had many upgrades over the past year with
the addition of a news section, frequently asked questions, storm safety tips, informational videos and a
section where contractors can download their necessary permits from the fire prevention section of the
site.

You can find the Auburn Fire/Rescue Department on Facebook or Twitter at auburnmassfire.
Or visit the fire departments website at www.auburnmassfire.org and click on the Facebook or Twitter
connect buttons on the home page.


Contact:  Chief Stephen M. Coleman Jr.
               508-832-7800
               scoleman@town.auburn.ma.us

Gas Leak at 567 Southbridge Street, Heritage Mall

February 12, 2013


The fire department responded to a report of a gas leak this morning at 567 Southbridge St., the
Heritage Mall. The fire department arrived at the commercial building that houses multiple businesses
at 5:46 am and the presence of natural gas was very strong and could be smelled in the parking lot.

The gas leak was reported by staff from the Heritage Coffee shop when they were opening for
business. The fire department had to force entry into the Great Expressions Dental Center that is
located in the center of the Heritage Mall, which was getting readings of natural gas on a meter of
dangerous levels. Staff from the entire complex that was just arriving to work was evacuated from the
building.

The gas leak was caused from large amounts of snow and ice that had been removed from the
roof yesterday and landed onto the distribution meter at the rear of the building and damaged it.
NSTAR officials were on scene and shut the gas off to the building until the meter can be repaired.


Contact:  Chief Stephen M. Coleman Jr.
               508-832-7800
               scoleman@town.auburn.ma.us

Firefighters Train in Icy Conditions

January 7, 2013


The members of Auburn Fire Departments Group 2 took to the ice on Auburn Pond next to Fire
Headquarters on Monday morning for ice rescue training. The group conducted simulated drills of
rescuing people both from the water, and as if they were stuck on the ice.

Firefighters are urging residents to stay off of the ice at this time. “It is not safe; the ice on
Auburn Pond was just over an inch thick. There are too many variables that go into what makes solid
ice, and makes ice safe.” Chief Stephen M. Coleman Jr. said. Our recommendation is to utilize public
options such as the skating rink at the Veterans Park, or Horgan Arena.


Contact:  Chief Stephen M. Coleman Jr.
               508-832-7800
               scoleman@town.auburn.ma.us