Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Massachusetts Adopts new Fire Code on January 1, 2015

Effective January 1, 2015 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will have a new fire code. Massachusetts is adopting the National Fire Protection Association's NFPA-1 as its new statewide standards. Currently 20 other states have adopted NFPA-1.

Auburn Fire Rescue Chief Stephen M. Coleman Jr. says this change has been in the works for several years and local fire inspectors assigned to the Bureau of Community Risk Reduction, Fire Prevention Division have been preparing for the changeover. Chief Coleman says that Auburn's two fire inspectors assigned to the division have taken credentialing classes over the past year including the two day training program for familiarization of the new code. Both inspectors are also nationally certified.

Chief Coleman says that the adoption of the new code will bring much needed consistency to Massachusetts. Although there are some Massachusetts amendments to the code, it brings the state in line with many others across the country with standard fire protection measures. A major noticeable change to the code is that it shifts certain responsibilities to agencies that are more appropriate and better suited to handle certain compliance issues. One example is that the Department of Environmental Protection will have a larger role in the oversight and enforcement of underground storage tanks that would be found at a gas station.

Chief Coleman says the new code will take some time to get used to but ultimately will be a good thing for the state and the municipalities. "It will help take many of the grey areas out of the code that used to be specific to Massachusetts. It always made it difficult when you had architects and builders who were from out of state and may not have been completely familiar with Mass code. This will certainly help with standardization".

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Assistant Chief Johnson Graduates from Chief Fire Officer Management Program

12/18/14


On Thursday, December 11, 2014, 33 fire officers from 33 communities graduated from the 21st offering of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy’s Chief Fire Officer Management Training Program. The thirteen-week program was developed in accordance with National Fire Protection Association Standards for chief fire officers, and is delivered jointly by the Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management at the University of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy. It is a comprehensive course providing training in the non-fire suppression aspects of managing fire departments.

State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan said, “These fire service leaders are committed to continually developing their management and leadership skills in order to provide the highest level of service to the communities they protect.”

Fire officers from the following fire departments graduated in the evening ceremony: Amherst, Arlington, Auburn, Ayer, Barnstable, Billerica, Bourne, Brockton, Brookline, Cohasset, Duxbury, Easton, Everett, Falmouth, Holden, Lexington, Littleton, Longmeadow, Marblehead, Massport, Natick, Plainville, Randolph, Shrewsbury, Stow, Wakefield, Wayland, West Springfield, Westborough, Westford, Weymouth, Wrentham, and Yarmouth.

The curriculum covers a spectrum of topics considered essential for effective public sector management. It includes human resource management, group dynamics, leadership and legal issues, governmental and organization structures, information management, customer-focused strategic planning, legal aspects, budgets and public finance, community awareness and public relations, and labor relations.

The Chief Fire Officer Management Training Program expects to help fire officers improve their ability to lead and manage personnel and the department, to provide skills to understand employees’ needs and problems, to promote personal productivity, to increase the capacity to manage both human and technical resources, and to increase inter-agency cooperation.

Participants are required to write a formal research paper, identifying a current problem or challenge faced by their organization and proposing a viable solution. The officers must then present their proposal to a mock panel of municipal officials for their consideration.

The Massachusetts Firefighter Academy, a division of the Department of Fire Services, offers this program, tuition-free.


Left to Right: Deputy State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey, Assistant Fire Chief Glenn Johnson Auburn Fire Rescue Department, Fire Chief Stephen Coleman Jr. Auburn Fire Rescue Department, State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan.



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

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Pedestrian Accident on Washington Street

12/11/14

Auburn Fire-Rescue Department at 4:14 A.M. on December 11, 2014 responded to the area of 139 Washington Street for a reported motor vehicle accident involving a pedestrian.  The pedestrian involved in the accident was transported to UMass Medical Center in Worcester with life threatening injuries.  The Auburn Police Department  is investigating the accident.  


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

Monday, December 8, 2014

Hazardous Materials Release on Bylund Ave.

12/8/14

Auburn Fire-Rescue Department at 4:28 P.M. on December 6, 2014 responded to 22 Bylund Ave. for a reported hazardous materials leak.  Upon further investigation the hazardous materials leak was mineral oil from an electrical transformer located on a utility pole outside the home of 22 Bylund Ave.

According to National Grid the transformer overheated causing the relief valve within the transformer to leak about 11 gallons of mineral oil onto the ground.  The mineral oil was carried to into Stoneville Reservoir by the rainy conditions.

Auburn Fire-Rescue Department deployed hazardous material booms in an 80 foot area via a fire-rescue boat to limit the flow of the material within the pond.  Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the Auburn Water District were notified of the situation.  A hazardous materials clean up crew responded to the incident.  Power was lost to the neighborhood for about two hours.  


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

SUV Strikes 2 Homes on Marianna Ave.

12/8/14

Auburn Fire-Rescue Department at 4:22 P.M. on December 6, 2014 responded to a motor vehicle that struck two homes at 3 and 5 Marianna Ave.  A SUV with one driver struck a fence, utility pole and two homes.  No one was injured in the incident.  The Building Inspector was called to the scene to inspect for structural damage to the homes.  Damage to the homes was minor and did not compromise the structural integrity of the buildings, said the Building Inspector.  Auburn Police are investigating the incident.


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