Above: Among the Fire Dept updates worth sharing: SEMA asked me to remind readers to sign up for emergency alerts and a Facebook post is seeking to add more personnel to the Call list of emergency responders.
I have a few newsworthy items to post about the Southborough Fire Department. While I’m at it, I’m looking back to round up some of the SFD news I missed sharing earlier this winter.
SAFE grants
Yesterday, the state announced more grants for local Fire Departments. This one gifts the SFD (among others) with over $6K to fund safety programs for seniors and youth. Wicked Local wrote:
Fire departments in 235 communities will receive Student Awareness of Fire Education and Senior SAFE grants. . .
The Governor’s office cited a 76% drop in children dying in fires since SAFE was launched in 1995. The senior version was launched 6 years ago:
“Home visits, smoke and CO alarm installations, and fire safety presentations at senior centers by firefighters with senior agencies help older adults develop strategies to stay safe at home for longer,” said Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito
Five years ago, the SFD promoted its willingness to do home safety checks for seniors. (You can read about that here.) In December, personnel visited the senior center to combine a cooking class with safety tips.
Emergency Alerts
CodeRed Alerts
Lt. Neal Aspesi of the Southborough Emergency Management Agency asked me to remind residents about CodeRed and other alert systems. Six years ago, I posted about the importance of signing up for CodeRED.
CodeRED, allows the town to quickly notify the entire population or targeted areas. But it is only as good as the data collected.
“If your phone number is not in the database, you will not be called,” warns Neal Aspesi, Director of Operations for the Southborough Emergency Management Agency. “No one should automatically assume his or her phone number is included.” . . .
In addition to emergency information, residents can opt in for non-emergency announcements from the town. These would include information such as annual hydrant flushing dates and community events.
You can read that post for more details. Aspesi also updated that anyone who downloads the CodeRed app to their phone can get alerts when they travel based on their location.
While I’m sharing the info, he asked me to share other important links for town and area safety news:
Emergency Management Agency
- Facebook = Southborough Emergency Management Agency
- Twitter = @SEMA01772
Town of Southborough, Twitter = @17common
Police Department
- Facebook = Southborough Police Department
- Twitter = @SouthboroughPD
Fire Department, Facebook = Southborough Fire Department
SFD on the job and Seeking “Call” help
Speaking of the department’s Facebook page, it’s time to roundup some highlights from the SFD’s posts this winter.
Last week, the SFD posted a call for helpers on Facebook last week:
Looking to add a new suit to your wardrobe? We’re always looking for new members to add to our call department. Check us out: https://www.southboroughtown.com/fire-department
The poster pitches, “opportunities available for all backgrounds and skill levels.”
In early January, the SFD rescued victims of a car crash:
Fire Department crew members responded to a 2 car accident on route 9 eastbound around midnight last night. Three people were extricated from vehicles using the Jaws of Life, and 4 individuals were transported by ambulance to local hospitals. Route 9 was closed for approximately a 1/2 hour.
A few weeks prior, the SFD posted:
At 04:26 am this morning (Friday, 12/13), Group 1 responded to a vehicle fire in one of the garage bays at Ted’s of Fayville, located at 300 Turnpike Road. Engine 23 and Ambulance 28 were dispatched. Ted’s employees used portable fire extinguishers to knock down the fire, and the crew from Southborough Fire used hose line off Engine 23 to fully extinguish. Thankfully there was no extension to other vehicles or the rest of the building.
One of their crew members had job training news worth sharing this winter.
Congratulations to FF. Scott Navaroli who recently completed a 10-day on-campus Fire & Arson Investigation course at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, MD. This intensive highly sought after course combines classroom & hands-on training, giving students the technical and scientific knowledge and skills needed to conduct successful fire/arson investigations. FF. Navaroli has been instrumental in the Department’s Fire Investigation Unit and the Fire District 14 Fire Investigation Team for several years. We also express our sincere thanks to his family for their support in allowing him to travel so long to enhance his education and value to the community. Massachusetts Department of Fire Services
On the lighter side, the SFD shared photos when they helped Santa visit children with autism in December:
Santa got an assist from Group 4 today, with a ride to his annual visit at the New England Center for Children on Engine 23!
