Town of
History of the Fire Department
And
The Cummington Fire Association
1943 to 2003
1943 - $500 fire engine 1928 Reo
$400 hose and related truck equipment
$21 rent for fire truck garage
1947 – $900.00 operating, 10 chimney fires; 3 forest fires; 4 out of town calls; Stanley R. Cowell, was appointed Fire Chief and formed the Cummington Volunteer Fire Department (The Cummington Fire Association) consisting of 36 members. Received their first formal training from Deputy Fire Chief Charles Martin of Northampton.
1948 - $800.00
operating, $6,000 Fire engine 1948 3-ton Diamond T, 6 chimney fires, 3 forest
fires, 2 out of town calls.
“The Cummington fire Association voted to purchase land and to erect a fire house to the limit of their treasury. After a lot of planning and many hours of voluntary work we have the building nearly completed. We have spent and donated the following: Land $250.00, Building Material $1,714.85, Sawing Lumber and Labor $740.00, 945 Hours of donated labor at $1.00 per hour $945.00 for a total of $3,649.85. We still have the wiring to do; a cement floor to lay; finish off both gables; install a septic tank and put in water; buy a furnace and build a furnace room; paint and seal proof the cement work on the sides of the building. All of which is estimated at a cost of $1,500. We would like to have the town accept the land and building from the Fire Association also to raise and appropriate the sum of $1,500 to finish the building.” – Stanley R. Cowell 1948 Annual Town report
1949 - $1,099.86 operating, $1,496.98 to finish the Fire Department Building, 14 chimney fires, 2 forest fires, 1 cabin which burned down causing 1 death, 3 out of town calls.
“We
of the Fire Association realize that the past expenses of the department have
added as much as six and one-half dollars to the tax rate. In the future we hope not to ask the town for
more money than is necessary for operating and upkeep of our present equipment
and building. This should amount to
about seven or eight hundred dollars or about one dollar to tax rate each
year.” – Stanley R. Cowell 1949 Annual Town report
1950 - $900.00 operating, $1,300 fire hose, $350.00 to purchase Elliott land directly in back of the Fire House. Lawrence B. Montgomery appointed fire chief
1951 - $800.00 operating, $775.00 fire hose and portable pump, 8 chimney fires, 1 forest fire, 1 grass fire, 1 car fire, 2 dump fires, 1 brush fires, 1 false alarm, 2 out of town fires of a total of 17 calls
1952 - $1,349.22 operating, 4 chimney fires, 1 shed fire, total loss, 1 house fire, 1 out of town fire;
1953 - $1,159.46 operating, $485 to convert retired town hiway department truck to 700 gallon tanker, 4 chimney fires, 1 house fire, 6 forest and grass fires, 1 dump fire and 5 out of town calls for a total of 17 calls
1954 - $1,900 operating, $350.00 pumps and hoses, 6 chimney fires, 1 house fire, 3 forest and grass fires, 2 dump fires, 1 motor vehicle fire, 1 oil burner fire and 5 out of town fires for a total of 19 calls.
1955 - $1,894.89 operating, 9 chimney fires, 1 house fire, 1 evaporator saved, 5 grass fires, 1 oil burner, 2 truck fires, 4 out of town calls.
1956 - $1,596.07 operating, 5 chimney fires, 2 truck fires, 4 grass fires and 1 out of town assistance call for a total of 12 calls. Stanley R. Cowell was appointed fire chief.
“Our
(Cummington Fire) Association now has a total of fifty-three members. Twenty of these members were enrolled this
year. The Association is ready and
willing to do anything that will benefit our people, young or old. I would like to mention some of the
activities we have sponsored during the past year: 1. We are sponsoring the
Cummington Boy’s Club. 2. We are
sponsoring the
1957 - $1,640.70 operating, 3 chimney fires, 2 brush fires, 2 house fires, 7 out of town fires (Windsor 1, Plainfield 4, Worthington 1) assisted by Worthington for fire on Trouble street. The Cummington Fire Association with 50 members received $385.75 in donations from residents to keep the ambulance running and made 20 ambulance runs including 1 to Boston.
1958 - $2,214.02 operating including paving apron in front of firehouse. 4 chimney fires, 4 brush fires, 4 house fires and 3 out of town fires; The House fire of George Gibbs in West Cummington on December 20 was a total loss. The Cummington Fire Association with 55 members purchased the Maxim truck from the town of South Royalton, Vermont with funds generated from donations and fund raising activities. The Association received $600 in donations from Cummington residents and $40 from Plainfield and earned $80 on out-of-town work for the ambulance fund. $650 of this money was used to purchase a 1947 Cadillac ambulance selling the old one to Savoy. The ambulance made 27 runs with one trip to Wareham, MA.
1959 - $1859.71 operating, 1 house fire, 1 barn fire, 5 chimney fires, 1 brush fire and 2 out of town fires (Plainfield brush fire and Windsor house fire) the barn fire, a total loss, was at the Donald Marcoux place on September 15, 1959. The Cummington Fire Association answered 22 calls with the ambulance service. The ambulance fund has a balance of $775 raised through fund raising events and contributions.
1960 - $1,811.57 operating, 2 house fires, 4 chimney fires, 3 brush fires and 2 out of town calls; The Cummington Fire Association built a new chimney on the firehouse and began a project to add an addition to the firehouse for the ambulance to be paid for with Association funds and volunteer labor. The ambulance made 23 trips.
1961 - $2,019.49
operating, 3 chimney fires, 1 oil burner fire and 1 house fire; The Cummington
Fire Association
“This
is a year that will long be remembered by our Department. We built a 32-ft. wide by 28-ft. long
addition on our Fire House, making it 32 ft. wide by 61 ft. long. We also installed a new 280 BTU Lenox Ceiling
Furnace which cost $881 and a new 500-gal. Septic tank. The Department spent $1,844.82 from the
1962 - $2,129.16 operating, $450 to complete firehouse, 4 chimney fires, 3 brush fires, 1 house fire at the Earle Streeter home on Stage Road.
“This year we purchased a 1958 Cadillac ambulance; purchase price was $900 and our 1946 Cadillac. This ambulance has only 16,000 miles on it and is in perfect condition. We feel we have an ambulance to take care of our needs for the next five or six years. As the addition to the fire House could not be finished this year, we have asked to have the special appropriation of $450 held over until 1963 when the building will be completed.” – Cummington Fire Association, 1962 Annual Town Report
1963 - $2,799.61 operating, 3 chimney fires, 2 house fires, 2 auto fires, 14 brush fires;
“At
this time, I would like to congratulate the members of the Fire Department for
their ability as firemen and their knowledge of their trucks and
equipment. This, I am sure, saved the
town of Cummington from one or more major forest fires last October.” – Stanley
R. Cowell, 1963 Annual Town Report.
The Cummington Fire Association
“The (Cummington Fire) Association purchased a 1941 Maxim 750-gallon pumper on Long Island, New York. This is a good truck and will be used to back up our Diamond T pumper at fires.” – Cummington Fire Association, 1963 Annual Town Report
1964 - $2,399.43
operating, 1 house fire at Leon Higgins’ house on Powell Road with little
damage done, 2 chimney fires, 4 grass fires, 8 dump fires, the Cummington Fire
Association
1965 - $2,091.09
operating, 2 structure fires, one small building at Leon Thayer’s home burned
and there was a bad flash fire at the garage owned by Carl B. Liebenow. The latter was quickly extinguished by fast
and proper use of our equipment. 4 chimney fires and 5 grass fires. The Cummington fire Association
1966 - $2,089.73 operating, $1,700.00 for purchase of 1961 Ford truck which the highway department traded in and the purchase of 1,000-gallon tank installed on the truck. 2 chimney fires, 4 grass fires, a barn owned by Francis Wells burned to the ground, assisted by Worthington Fire Department, 4 out of town calls, 37 ambulance calls were answered by the Cummington Fire Association, 2 trips to Boston, one to Albany and one to Portsmouth, NH.
1967 - $2,074.37 operating, 3 chimney fires, 6 grass fires, 4 other type of fires, 4 auto fires, 4 out of town calls. The 1948 Dodge is now out of service and is for sale. The 1961 Ford is in service and still has some work to be done on it.
1968 - $2,100
operating, a few more grass and brush fires than last year, 3 out of town
calls; The
1969 - $2,093.46 operating, 2 chimney fire, grass fires started early in April, but the rains came and we were not bothered in the last spring and fall. Dean Morey’s barn burned on December 19, 1969. The main hay barn, middle section and lower section where the cattle were housed were all burned and approximately 20 head of cattle were lost. The fire lasted through the night and into the next day. The ambulance answered 30 calls, 15 that were emergency and 15 that probably should have been serviced by private car.
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PURCHASE OF A NEW FIRE TRUCK
“In 1947, twenty-two years ago, your Fire Department
went to bat and asked the town voters for a new fire truck which was very badly
needed. That truck has served well over
the years, but like all pieces of machinery used for many years, it has aged
and become less efficient than it should be to provide adequate
protection. The Fire Department and Fire
Association feel that it is past time to replace the “Old Diamond T” with a new
truck. The life expectancy for a fire
truck is twenty years. The present truck
has gone twenty-two years and should no longer be the number one truck.
We realize that this will cause a large expenditure,
about $35,000, for the town.
In April 1969 a committee was formed in the Fire
Department and Fire Association to investigate this problem. The members of this committee have visited at
least five towns that have recently purchased new trucks, for the purpose of
evaluating and getting ideas that would apply to our town. They have studied specifications on various makes
and believe that the truck we need must cost very close to the $35,000
figure. Much thought and work have gone
into this project and we feel that every cent will be well spent. Prices on fire equipment are increasing about
8% per year. We cannot afford to wait
any longer. Bernard Forgea, Carl B.
Liebenow, Robert Pratt, Thomas Caldwell, Ernest Strong, John Horton, Richard
Taylor, Arlin Stevens, Stanley Cowell” - 1969 Annual Town Report
1970 - $2,098.47 operating, $34,975.00 1970 Maxim fire truck, 2 auto accident wash downs, 2 oil furnace fires, 4 grass fires, 1 forest fire (Plainfield), 1 forest fire (East Windsor), 1 potato storage (Worthington). The ambulance responded to 29 calls, 22 in Cummington, 4 in Plainfield, 2 in Worthington, and 1 in East Windsor.
1971 - $2,661.24 operating, the number of fires was very few.
“In 1971 the Hampshire County Mutual Aid was
re-organized with Chief Howard Sanderson of Williamsburg as president. Jack Horton represented the Fire Department
at monthly meetings every 3rd Wednesday of the month. The meetings were held in different towns
each month.
The county was broken up into regions. Our region is called the Hill Towns –
Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Plainfield, Windsor and Worthington.
The dispatch center is in the Northampton Fire
station, which is manned at all, times for telephone and radio. This dispatch center has a list of all trucks
and equipment in the county. Our listing
is:
Pumper Water 2 ½ hose 1
½ hose port. Pump
Maxim 1,000 1,000 2,200 ft. 700 ft. 1-300
gal.
Diamond
T 500 650 700 ft. 100
ft.
Ford 100 1,000 50 ft. 500
ft. 1-300 gal.
3,000-watt
electric generator and lights
Foam
– Eductor and nozzles
Stanley R. Cowell, 1971 Annual Report
The Cumming Fire Association
1972 - $3,126.21 operating, very few fires, a couple of chimney fires and some small grass and brush fires, no mutual aid calls.
“Our
equipment is about the same as last year; a 1971 Maxim 1000 gallon pumper with
1000 gallons of water, 2200 ft. of 2 ½ “ hose, 700 ft. of 1 ½ “ hose one 300
gallon portable pump, one smoke ejector, a 3000 watt electric generator with
lights, foam eductor and nozzles.
A
1948 Diamond T 500 gallon pumper with 650 gallons of water, 700 ft. of 2 ½”
hose, 100 ft. of 1 ½” hose, and one 300 gallon portable pump.
A
1962 Ford tank truck, 1000 gallons of water, 50 ft. of 2 ½” hose, 500 ft. of 1
½” hose, and one 300 gallon portable pump.
This
equipment is checked, started and run each week; also quick checked for heat
and batteries each day during the winter months.
This
year was a very good year. We finished a
great deal of work needed doing for a long time; some since we built the 1st
section of the firehouse in 1948.
First we chipped out and pointed up again the cement blocks on the front half of the building. We then water proofed the blocks and painted two coats of paint inside and outside. We were very fortunate to have some of our younger members take over and install new clapboards on both gable ends of the building. When this was completed they removed the old leaking asphalt shingles from the front half of the building and put on a new asphalt roof.
I
would like to especially thank Bernie and Denny Forgea, Conrad Liebenow and
Henry Morrill. We can now he very proud
our building. It is one of the
best-equipped and attractive firehouses around.
Lets
all keep it that way” – Stanley Cowell, 1972 Annual Town Report
The Cummington Fire Association
1973 - $2,146.38 operating, 1 chimney fire, 3 grass and rubbish fires, 2 automobile fires (one a total loss), 1 barn fire – although the barn was lost at Leon Thayer’s, our firemen and mutual aid firemen from Worthington, Chesterfield, and Goshen should be commended highly for saving the house. 5 mutual aid calls
“2 calls to Plainfield – On February 17 at 6:20 P.M. we were called from our town meeting to a fire at A. E. Albert’s’ potato storage. On February 26 at 9:20 A.M. we were called to the Plainfield town shed. Both fires were too far out of control to save either building. 2 calls to West Worthington – Frankie Brook’s tavern: a grass fire answered on Cheney road on November 14. 1 call to West Chesterfield – V. Bernier on November 20, the fire in the building was also too far out of control to save. One of the Chesterfield firemen succumbed to smoke inhalation. Bernie Forgea and another fireman responded immediately with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and closed chest heart massage. Within a few minutes they had him breathing again and on his way to the hospital. We were indeed fortunate to have had Bernie there. He is representing our ambulance department at the Cooley Dickinson Hospital, which is offering the Emergency Medical Technician Course.” – Stanley Cowell, 1973 Annual Report
The Cummington Fire Association
“In
last year’s report it was stated that there was need for an ambulance in better
condition than the one we were using. On
June 24 we took out a 90-day loan for the purchase of the one we are presently
using.
On January 22, 1974, a new law – Chapter 111C of the Massachusetts General Laws becomes effective. It is legislation authorizing the Department of Public Health to take action to insure a high quality Emergency Medical Care through regulations of ambulance and ambulance services. In short, this means that we will have to be trained Emergency Medical Technicians. In order to do this we will be required to attend an 81-hour course. This is the same course which Bernie Forgea recently completed.” – Stanley Cowell, 1973 Annual Report
1974-75 – Cummington changed to a July 1st to June 30th fiscal year, so these are 18-month numbers. $4,430.80 operating, During the past eighteen months there have been no major fires with any large amount of loss. The increase in use of wood-burning stove this past years and a half has been the reason for a number of chimney fires.
“In
our last report we stated that a new law Chapter 111C of the Massachusetts
general Laws would become effective as of January 1974 whereby we would be
required to have trained Medical Technicians in order to legally run an
ambulance service
We
are proud to state that fourteen of our townspeople have taken a rigorous
course (approximately 81 hours), passed all requirements, and are not Emergency
Medical Technicians.
The new law now requires all ambulance services to have a new van type or modular type vehicle in order to meet the new regulations. We have received a State Matching Fund Grant of $8,000.00 for a new van type vehicle. In order to continue our ambulance service it will be necessary for the association to raise the balance which amounts to approximately $8,000.00” – Stanley R. Cowell, 1974 Annual Report
1976 - $3,047.34
operating, 4 chimney fires, 2 brush fires, 3 auto fires, 2 accidents – flush
gas off road, 2 dump fires, 1 Plainfield house fire, 2 Windsor brush fires, The
Cummington Fire Association
“Since
our last report the Cummington Fire Association has been incorporated. This was done for several reasons. The Association was required to incorporate
to be eligible to be listed as a non-profit organization, which in turn has
made it possible for all contributors to the
The
new ambulance cost a total of $17,215.79 and was paid for by the
above-mentioned $8,000 grant plus $6,115.00 from the Town of Cummington and
$3,100.00 from the town of Plainfield. We mention this because there has been some
confusion over how we could afford such an expenditure.” – Cummington Fire
Association, Inc., 1976 Annual Report
1977 - $3,565.70 operating, 1 house fire at Remington Lodge, 1 cabin fire, 2 chimney fires, 4 brush fires, 2 dump fires, 2 accidents, flush gas from road, 2 car and truck fires, 4 generator calls, 1 Mutual Aid call to Cusson Fire in Plainfield. The very effective use of Scott packs at the Remington Lodge fire prompted us to purchase another Scott Airpack and 3 reserve tanks.
“We
reported that we would need a new ambulance and would have to raise
approximately $8,000 to pay our share of a Matching Fund Grant with the state
in order to comply with Mass. 111C.
Actually
we had to raise $9,000 and after examining our assets and time win which we had
to raise the money we were forced to go to the Town of Cummington for $6,000
and to Plainfield for $3,000.
The
new ambulance arrived and after an inspection, by the state, of our equipment,
organization, records, and supply we once again found ourselves in a crises
situation. Although our EMT list had
grown to 18 we still lacked an in depth organization.
The
association hired “Training and Consulting Services”, under the direction of
our friend Gary Bunce, to come in and help us reconstruct our service.
We
are happy to report that at this time we feel we are on the road to
self-sufficiency. We have organized our
EMT’s into committees, one to check and care for supplies, one to care for
vehicle, another cares for the record keeping, training, scheduling EMT’s for
ambulance duty.
By
working with the Fire Dept. we now have a system where at least one ”RED PHONE”
is answered at all times, day or night and at least two EMT’s are on call at
all times to run the ambulance. This is
a tremendous undertaking for this small organization with limited manpower.” –
Cummington Fire Association, Inc., 1977 Annual Report
1978 - $4,421.37 operating, 7 chimney fires, 4 vehicular accidents, 3 house fires, 2 grass fires, 1 car fire, 1 fallen electrical wires, 1 mutual aid to Plainfield; John P. Horton was appointed fire chief. The most serious fire was at the Frank Philbrick home on Trouble Street. There was considerable fire and water damage, but the house was saved.
“A
new septic system at the firehouse and repairs to our old portable pump
depleted our budgeted money for new equipment.
Fortunately we received a donation of used turnout gear, and now most
active members have been assigned helmets, coats and boots.
Cummington
Fire Department members have participated in over 500 man-hours of training
this past year. This included
inflammable liquids, stove installation, and basic fire fighting courses.
This past year was our first year of assigned 24 hour manning of the fire phones. The inconveniences to our dispatchers has pointed out our need of joining most of our neighboring towns by installing a better system of radio dispatching from a centralized dispatch center. This will be one our top priorities in the coming year.” – John P. Horton, 1978 Annual Report
“In
our last report we stated that we had hired a consulting service to help us
reconstruct our ambulance service. With
a year of operating under the organizational system set up by “training and
Consulting Services”, we have found it necessary to make many adjustments in
our service.
We
found that having the “red Phones” covered at all times and at least two EMT’s
on call to run the ambulance day or night necessitated many sacrifices and
adjustments in our personal lives. It
seems that no matter how much planning goes into the monthly schedule something
inevitably comes up and we are constantly arranging coverage or standby for
each other. Every one of our dedicated
dispatchers and EMT’s willingly covers for each other in order that the
“system” will work.
The
Association did help the EMT’s purchase outside bells for their private
telephones to allow the person on duty a limited degree of freedom.
With
our various committees that care for supplies, vehicle maintenance, record
keeping, and training all doing a very fine job the State of Massachusetts
finally felt we had produced a plan of correction for the deficiencies within
our service sufficient to warrant licensing us as a Class 1 ambulance service. Licensure had been held up subject to
satisfactory compliance to the requirement for a two-way F.M. radio
communication.
The
License was presented by representatives of the Department of Public Health,
We
feel we have completed a very successful year.
Future plans include investigating electronic alerting for our
attendants to give them the much-needed flexibility necessary to continue
giving the long hours they give and increasing the efficiency of our service to
better serve the town.
We would like to say a very special tank you to Peter and Franny Kipp of Cummington Supply. They have taken on the tremendous responsibility of being our daytime dispatch, whenever their store is open.” – Cummington fire Association, Inc, 1978 Annual Report
1979 - $7,037.83 operating, $5,000 Two way radio system, 5 motor vehicle accidents, 4 car fires, 3 structure fires, 2 illegal burnings, 2 chimney fires, 1 wastebasket fire at Community House, 1 grass fire, 1 mutual aid call to Goshen with tanker. The most serious fire was at the Francis Wells home and barn on November 21, 1978.
“The
Cummington Fire Department members have participated on over 550 hours of
training this past year, including hazardous materials, propane gas, car
fires. A mini course sponsored by the
Mass. Fire fighting Academy lasting 4 days was conducted in Cummington the fall
of 1978. Eight of our members are now
enrolled in the County Training School, which is a six-day course. First assistant Bernard Forgea is continuing
his Fire Science courses at Berkshire Community College.
In spring of 1979 our new paging system was put into use, this equipment is exceeding our expectations. Other new equipment includes 6-inch dump valves for Engine 2 and 3, a 1,000 gal. Port. Dump tank, some new turnout gear, 2 new Scott Air Packs needed to meet N.F.F.A. specs. Some of this equipment was purchased with money from the Title 4 matching grant. This was the first year Cummington has received this money.” – John P. Horton, 1979 Annual Report
“The
members of the
During the past year, seventeen registered EMT’s have provided twenty-four hour emergency medical care and transportation, free of charge, to the residents of Cummington and Plainfield, and to any traveler passing through the area. Each EMT has been on duty 120 hours a month, has spent 11 hours a month in training, and 3 hours a month in meetings. This does not reflect the time spent in training with the Fire Department of which most EMT’s are members.” – Cummington Fire Association, Inc, 1979 Annual Report
1980 - $5,238.59 operating, 8 motor vehicle accidents, 3 chimney fires, 3 illegal burnings, 2 structural fires, 2 dump fires, 1 grass fire, 1 brush fire, 1 flooded oil burner, 1 tree on wires, 2 search parties, 4 mutual aid calls; The most serious fire was at the brick house on Dodwells Road owned by Catherine Simpson. That fire was February 1, 1980.
“This
completes our first year using Amherst as our primary dispatch center and we
are quite please thus far and feel that this system has added to our efficiency.
The
Cummington Volunteer Fire Dept. members have participated in over 500 hours of
training at Hampshire County Fire Training School, Bennington County (VT)
Training School and locally taught courses.
Five new members have joined the department this year.
First
assistant chief Bernard L. Forgea has completed his studies at Berkshire
Community College with an associate degree in Fire Science. He also received the outstanding fire science
student award for his class at BCC.
Our major piece of new equipment this year is a forcible entry saw to be used mainly for ventilation purposes. This saw will cut wood, metal and cement. A gate wye was made out of old parts and saved us over $300. Some new turn out hear and a new length of 3-inch hand suction hose for use with our dump tank have also been purchased.” – John P. Horton, 1980 Annual Report
1981 - $5,563.87 operating, 6 grass and brush fires, 4 accidents and crash downs, 3 chimney fires, 2 structure fires, 2 vehicle fires, 1 fire out on arrival, 1 broken water pipe, 3 mutual aid calls – Worthington 2, Chesterfield 1, Plainfield 1; The most serious fire was the old horse barn at the Fairgrounds. The barn that was almost completely involved upon our arrival was lost but a new building nearby was saved.
“New
equipment consists of 200 feet of 1 ¾ attack hose and a new nozzle for this
hose. We also purchased a Hooligan tool
for forcible entry. We have two new
trainers for our dump tank that were made by Conrad Liebenow thus saving us
more than $300.
The
firehouse now has storm windows on the heated areas and weather stripping has
been installed around the overhead doors.
A new overhead door replaces the deteriorated rear door.
We
have participated in many man-hours of training at country schools, state fire schools
and with the Goshen Department to learn the use of their Jaws of Life. All men are either trained as Emergency
Medical Technicians or First Responders.
Three
of our men are county instructors in either the county fire school or first
responder’s course. They are: James D.
Martin, Jr., Dennis Forgea and Bernard Forgea.
The use of the Amherst dispatcher and our pager system continues to be of great service and is certainly a convenience to us.” – John P. Horton, 1981 Annual Report
“Last
year we were forced to appeal for financial help from our primary service towns
of Cummington and Plainfield to enable us to put candidates from each community
through the 81-hour EMT course. From
this program we were able to graduate three EMT’s who we welcome to our
ambulance service: Sue Forgea from Cummington, Lois Goodnoff and Bill Chapman
from Plainfield. We say, “goodbye and
thank you for all of your help,” to Cathy Michaels, Diane Mimitz and Lynne
Taylor. Our compliment of attendants
remains at nineteen with which to provide our continuous 24-hour a day
coverage.
Reluctantly
after 30+ years the Association considered a billing system this past
year. As we all know everything costs
more and this includes the cost of operating our
On
the lighter side, this past year saw some much needed new equipment arrive on
board the Cummington
Throughout
the year our organizations holds training sessions for our attendants. Under the supervision of Jim Martin, our
training officer, we have a carefully designed schedule, which requires each
attendant to participate in one three-hour continuing education session each
month. These sessions are utilized as
constant review of our basic skills and knowledge in an effort towards
combating skill decay, a serious problem in a service, which make so few runs
each year. Any new material pertinent to
our EMT field is presented at these monthly sessions as well. Fore instance last year, by way of review e
held six CPR classes in which we re-certified or newly trained over 85 local
residents in this vital skill. An
example of introducing new techniques and training to our EMT’s was the
Radiological Monitors course held by the Massachusetts Civil Preparedness
agency. With the increasing concern
about the possibility of people being exposed to radio-active materials, e it
from accidents on the highway involving industrial waste or fallout from
nuclear attack, it has become appropriate for the Cummington
1982 - $5,280.13 operating, $1,266.05 Firehouse Winterization, 7 structure fires, 4 vehicle accidents, 3 chimney fires, 1 liquid propane gas leak, 1 false alarm; Mutual aid was given by this department twice and mutual aid was received by this department six times. The most serious fire this year was at the Ronald Wolf Farm on Plainfield Road and the Kataoka residence on Plainfield Road. Of the seven structure fires noted below, four were caused by faulty chimneys or stove pipe installations.
“Because
of Proposition 2 ½, the only new items purchased this past year were two salvage
covers. All other equipment is in good
shape except for Engine No. 2. This
34-year-old truck is constantly breaking down and replacing this vehicle should
be the town’s number one priority at the next annual Town Meeting.
All
members have completed their first responder or emergency medical technician’s
training as required by state law. Many
members are attending the county school and the Bennington County Training
School. County instructors from
Cummington are: James D. Martin, Jr., Dennis Forgea, Bernard Forgea and Wallis
Page.
Our county dispatch system is working extremely well and the automatic tanker dispatch for structure fires has proven itself a number of times. It should be noted that three other towns have followed our lead and now have automatic tanker dispatch in their towns.” – John P. Horton, 1982 Annual Report
“An
improvement which we are sure most have noticed, and many have already
commented on, is the purchase of uniforms for our active firefighters and
EMT’s. Not only do the uniforms stand
out at social and official functions but they tend to enhance the service by
instilling in each member a certain sense of pride and achievement. The uniform is the Association’s recognition
of an individual’s many sacrifices while earning and maintaining his or her
membership in good standing.
An
example of sacrifi8ces made the membership in order to maintain and perpetuate
our fire emergency service is the weekend long vehicle extrication course held
in Cummington last November 13th and 14th. Each participant was required to attend both
days of the program in order that we might develop a coordinated in-depth
response to any situation involving people trapped in wrecked vehicles. The program was run by the Massachusetts Fire
Academy and included five surrounding town’s police, fire and ambulance
services. We were shown, and later tried
for ourselves, the latest techniques and equipment for removing vehicles from
around people.
Another
area where our members spent many hours away from home is the requirement that
all of our personnel be trained as first responders so that they can give basic
first aid to victims of accidents or sudden illness until the services of a
higher medical authority can be obtained.
Last winter a first responder first aid and CPR class was held in
Plainfield for those in the Hilltowns in need of such a program and 13 from
Cummington completed the 21 hour and one all day Sunday course of study.
Our
continuing education classes for EMT’s under the very able guidance of Jim
Martin took on a new profile last year.
In an effort to broaden the scope of our training and tap a resource
wealthy with knowledge and eager to participate in this type of endeavor, the
1983 - $5,300 operating, $6,000 for 1960 Ford pumper, $2756.09 for repairs of 1960 Ford pumper, 7 chimney fires, 6 vehicle accidents, 4 grass fires, 1 faulty oil burner, 1 false alarm, 11 mutual aid calls; Bernard L. Forgea was appointed fire chief.
“Since
all of our firefighters are trained in emergency first aid and CPR they respond
to ambulance calls with our Emergency Medical Technicians to supply greatly
needed support at the scene of accidents or sudden illness.
This year saw a change in the format of the County Fire School. The school has been divided into two divisions, a Hilltown division and a Valley division. This allows the County school to run each of its classes in a Hilltown fire department thereby applying time we used to spend traveling back and forth, to school in Amherst to the class itself, at home. This simple change has enabled many firefighters to complete the county school who otherwise couldn’t have received the training.
At
a special town meeting in February the town purchased a secondhand pumper to
replace our 1948 Engine 2. After nearly
700 hours of volunteer labor by firefighters the newly renovated pumper was
placed in service August 26, 1983. This
type of commitment and achievement by department members in the face of
Proposition 2 ½ is a credit to the community.
Proposition
2 ½ caused our budget request to be cut by nearly 51% at Annual Town
Meeting. Cuts of this magnitude in an
all volunteer service can only be reflected in a decrease of equipment and
building maintenance and items to replace worn out or broken firefighting
gear. The roof on the back half of the
fire station leaks and needs replacing.
The upstairs needs to be insulated to conserve heat, as do the doors to
the equipment bays. We do not have
enough turnout gear to full dress our 22 firefighters and much of what we have
is badly worn or not serviceable.
Our excellent dispatching system utilizing electronic pagers often wants for batteries for the individual paging units. Our Ford tanker needs bodywork to slow the deterioration of both the cab and the compartments on the tank. Also cut from the budget were the funds for an annual oil burner servicing and septic system treatment.” – Bernard L. Forgea, 1983 Annual Report
1984 - $5,626.00 operating, $993.91 Fire house repairs 7 Box alarms (structure fires), 7 auto accidents, 4 chimney fires, 5 alarm sounding, 1 brush fire, 1 furnace malfunction, 1 lightening, 1 false alarm, 2 mutual aid; the most serious structure fire was the loss of the Mildred Holmes property on Snow Road.
“Last
year at this time it was reported that the Cummington Fire Department needed to
begin a long range plan for maintenance and upgrading of equipment if it hoped
to avoid large scale replacements and repairs.
The Fire Department is happy to report that in conjunction with the
finance committee and other public official, such a project is under way.
So
far the department has been able to either replace or rebuild its six Self
Contained Breathing Apparatus at an average expense of $316. The Department has also finally been able to
purchase 10 gallons of Fire Out, a chemical additive that increases the fire
suppression characteristics of ordinary water nearly four times.
Annual
Town Meeting this year appropriated money to wire the upstairs in the fire
station, completely insulate upstairs and downstairs including the overhead
doors in the equipment bay. Also
included in this year’s work is a complete reproofing of the back half of the
station.
The
past year saw a tremendous increase in requests for smoke detectors
locations. While the majority of these
requests were the result of selling homes, the Fire Department experienced a
great increase for detector information and locations from the community at
large. In fact, the request have
increased to the point where the Cummington Fire Department has developed a
group of volunteer inspectors from the rank of the department who have been
trained and certified by the Massachusetts Fire Fighting Academy to determine
locations, make recommendations, and final inspections on fire alarm systems.
It
should be noted that this same group will return to the classroom this fall to
receive instruction in oil burner inspections.
This
past year we saw an end to the era of an unlocked firehouse. The decision to ‘lock up’ was not easily
made. The inconveniences many would
experience were considered but in light of the growing numbers of problems the
Fire Department was experiencing both with the building and with tampering of
apparatus, the choice was finally rendered.
Since that time the Department has been nearly problem free.
During the past year two Cummington firefighters and one Plainfield
firefighter were recognized at the annual Northampton Lodge of Elks B.P.O.E.
#997 Police-Fire Recognition Night for Heroism.
Retired Chief John Horton was cited for his actions in saving the life
of a young person who had been overcome by carbon monoxide poison. His citation reads in part, “Due to the
alertness of Chief Horton and rapid application of life saving skills he
learned during his years as both a fire-fighter and Chief officer this victim
was successfully revived and fully recovered from the (incident) which nearly
claimed his life”
Fire Assistant Chief Dennis Forgea and Plainfield Captain David Alvord were lauded for rescuing Mrs. Mildred Holmes and her pets from the tragic fire, which destroyed Mrs. Holmes’ residence. “Due to the rapid unselfish actions demonstrated by these firefighters, a certain fatality was averted and Mrs. Holmes and her pets were rescued without injury.” – Bernard L. Forgea, 1984 Annual Report.
“Wally Page replaced Jim Martin who retired his
office. We have enjoyed a variety of new
ideas in training with Wally from introduction to the Hadley Aquatic Rescue
Team, which it should be noted Lelia Kaufman, Dave Wood, and Ray Vandoloski of
the Cummington
One of the highlights of the last couple of years is the nearly complete renovation of the meeting room in the Fire Station. Financed by funds raised by the Fire Association, Inc.; volunteers refinished the ceiling, walls, floor and yes even much of the furniture. A very generous donation of sanders and paper from Cummington Supply provided the necessary edge for a beautifully glossed floor.
A special tank you to Ada and Raymond Forgea for repairing all of the broken and loosely jointed furniture and then supplying the material and labor as a donation to recover all of the cushions!
In an effort to insure that emergency telephone stickers
and cards are made available for Police, Fire and
As we begin the last half of 1984 it would be well to
remind everyone that our “new”
1985 - $6,500 operating, $1,900 repair
of Ford tanker, 3 Box (Structure), 4 Auto Accidents, 9 Chimney Fires, 2 Alarm
Sounding, 5 Brush fires, 4 false alarms, 2 appliance malfunction, 2 wires down,
2 smoke odor, 2 car fires, 9 mutual aid.
The most serious fire was the April 26th fire at the Bartlett
residence on Bush road. Children playing
with matches resulted in the loss of a two-car garage and a vehicle parked
inside.
“We reported in 1983 that our Ford tanker was in need of body work “To slow the deterioration of both the cab and compartments on the tank.” As part of the ongoing planning with the Finance Committee and the Selectmen to re-examine the needs of the Fire Department, proposals were being prepared to see which alternative would be more cost effective, replace the truck and tank with something newer or repair the existing unit. The decision was made for us on January 14th.
As we backed the tanker in the station from a run, we noticed water dripping underneath the truck. A closer examination revealed the 20+ year old tank had cracked a seam. Immediately the firefighters went to work locating another tank. One was found and the fire members set about installing the new tank on the old chassis. Within a month the tanker was back “in service,” thanks to many, many hours of volunteerism by the firefighters.
The $2,400 renovation of the tanker was completed without exceeding the department’s allotment for last year. A real tribute to the department’s ability to realign priorities and make grave sacrifices.
At the time of this report we have finished the electrical wiring and insulating upstairs in the station. We also have a fire alarm system throughout the building. Presently the alarm only rings locally. We hope to have an automatic dialer installed so that any alarms will automatically be sent to our dispatch center in Amherst.
Requests for smoke detector locations continue to rise. We are working with the camps in town helping them equip with fire alarm systems. The cooperation we are receiving from everyone is most gratifying.
The Department continues to train one night a month in every aspect of firefighting. As long a so good weather favors outside drills, the second Tuesday of each month at 7 PM finds the department practicing the various arts and skills associated with our task.
Short days and cold weather bring us inside to refresh our
all too often needed First Aid and CPR skills.
Currently our roster has 27 active firefighters each trained in First
Aid and CPR.” – Bernard L. Forgea, 1985 Annual Report
“Our annual plea goes out again for people to serve with us. Supporting a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week ambulance service requires enormous resources.” “We desperately need new EMT’s particularly daytimes.
We indicated last year that we were considering either
trading in our ambulance or getting some badly needed repairs done to it. After exploring both options we decided to
fix it up one more time. With some body
work and a coat of fresh paint 54 A-1 looks like new. We hope to get at least a couple more years
of duty out of the old rig as it is virtually valueless as a trade in.” –
Cummington Fire Association, Inc, 1985 Annual Report
1986 - $6,500 operating, $4,550.00
portable water tank, coats, boots, helmets and rechargeable lights, 6 false
alarms, 2 Box alarms (structure), 4 auto accidents, 1 smoke odor, 1 car fire, 1
gasoline leak, 2 wire down, 4 chimney fires, 1 brush fire, 10 mutual aid; The
most serious incident was the fire at the home of Paul (Red) and Mae Emerson of
Main St. Fortunately the Emersons, who
were asleep in their second floor bedroom, were alerted by a recently installed
smoke detector on the first floor of their home. The resulting fire damage was confined to a
small area of the wall directly behind their wood stove.
“We reported last year that we had finally completed the electrical wiring upstairs in the fire station and that we had included a fire alarm system and a temperature loss alarm system. Fortunately the temperature loss alarm works perfectly as we lost heat in the station no less than six times last winter. Each time the alarm alerted us early enough to prevent the freezing of the building’s water as well as the water in the apparatus’ tanks. Each time temporary heating units were utilized to calm the situation and each time the furnace company was called to make the necessary repairs. Finally, after numerous visits by the furnace repair people, the various problems were al resolved and what could have cost the town thousands of dollars to repair if apparatus tanks had split or building pipes burst and ruined ceilings, floors, and walls only cost the department $375.08. We feel this is one time we can actually document a condition where significant savings actually have been realized, as opposed to being projected, through the timely installation of an alarm system.
During August of last year we were finally able to begin our annual testing of the water pumps on each of our two fire pumpers. Unfortunately the pump on the Engine we purchased from Amherst failed to pump up to its rated capacity. An estimate was received for repairing the unit and we expect the project to be completed this summer before the Cummington Fair.
On the lighter side, we went to bid for new personal protective clothing at the beginning of last year and were finally able to outfit each of our firefighters with safe reliable helmets, coats, and boots. This year we plan to enhance this equipment with money approved at annual town meeting for fire resistive hoods and gloves fore each firefighter.
We also purchased four rechargeable hand lights for the department. These lights we will be constantly recharged from the vehicles batteries via the lights’ mounting brackets, thereby providing a readily available source of portable light for the fire-fighter instead of the firefighters constantly having to rely on the uncertainties of regular battery powered lights.” – Bernard L. Forgea, 1986 Annual Report
“Last year our 1975 ambulance showed some more signs of
her advancing age. As the crew was
returning from a trip to Northampton the vehicle began to respond very
sluggishly, especially on hills. A quick
trip the garage revealed a need for a new transmission.” – Cummington Fire
Association, Inc., 1986 Annual Report
1987 - $6,662.00 operating, $4,500
personal protective gear, 11 still alarms (includes gas and oil leaks and
odors), 4 chimney fires, 6 auto accidents, 2 box alarms, 1 auto fire, 1 wires
down, 1 brush fire, 1 false alarm, 6 mutual aid calls; The most serious fire
call was an outside shed fire that, except for a quick thinking of a passerby
who alerted the fire department and then used a garden hose to control the
flames, could have been very serious.
The shed, attached to a house, suffered only minor damage. Fortunately the home and the occupants were
spared.
“Smoke detector location requests and inspections continue to be a major function of the department. The department is able to report that at this time all of the camps in our community have been completely outfitted with fire alarm systems that provide for automatic notification of the fire department.
Also reported on last year was the fact that our oldest pumper failed to pass its annual pump test and that we had expected to have it repaired before the Cummington Fair. Such was not the case. The vendor hired to repair the pump was unable to perform the repairs that he had given an estimate on so the department was forced to look elsewhere for help. Very luckily we located a shop that was able to not only repair the pump, but also performed some additional modifications to the truck that greatly improved the department’s ability to deliver water with this vehicle. Since the final repairs to the pump cost slightly less than the appropriated amount, the balance of the fund was used toward the purchase of floating strainers which prevent the pumps fro sucking in sand and gavel from the stream and pond bottoms which caused the damage in the first place.
Along with the strainers the department was able to follow it proposal and purchase for each firefighter a special fire resistant hood and pair of gloves. These items certainly add to each firefighter’s overall personal protection.
The department did request capital funding for additional necessary equipment at the last town meeting but the necessary money was not available due to other financial constraints on the community. However, the Cummington Fire Department ahs been able to replace some very badly worn and broken equipment and go forward with some new equipment as well. Naturally this has only been possible because of the close working relationship between the various boards in the town and through the support of the town at large. We only hope this forward momentum can be renewed next year and funds will once again become available to provide for the needs of the fire service.
Finally, the Cummington Fire Department continued throughout the year to drill with surrounding fire departments. A drill to develop a prefire plan for the Cummington Farm Village was held at the facility and hosted by the Plainfield fire Department. The early Sunday morning exercise gave the Plainfield, Goshen, Cummington, and Chesterfield Fire Departments an opportunity to discuss and try various tactical firefighting plans. Similarly, a multi-town drill is expected to be tried again this summer at the Cummington Fair grounds. The tow of Worthington hosted a smoke house drill in July, which drew approximately 20 firefighters from Worthington and Cummington.” – Bernard L. Forgea, 1987 Annual Report
“On the training front this past year was some what unique
in that our town Fire Department and
Over the past couple of years we have mentioned the slowly deteriorating condition of our ambulance. Three years ago we decided to refurbish the body, repair the dents, nicks, and scratches. The next year we had to replace the transmission. Now with the patch job on the body’s exterior rusting through again and serous little problems beginning to plague us, we have formed a committee to develop a schedule and plan for replacing our 1975 ambulance. By the time most of you read this you will already have received our letter appealing for donations toward the purchase of a new ambulance. The present unit is twelve years old and really showing need for replacement. In 1975, it cost $18,000. A similar unit today is $60,000. So you can readily see the all volunteer ambulance service which manages 24 hour/day, 7 day/week coverage for the towns of Cummington and Plainfield is faced with a tremendous uphill challenge in raising this hugh amount of money in time to replace our existing ambulance by 1988.” – Cummington Fire Association, 1987 Annual Report
1988 - $6,662.00 operating, 22 still
alarms (includes gas and oil leaks, odors, and alarms sounding), 5 chimney
fires, 4 auto accidents, 3 box alarms, 1 brush fire, 1 mutual aid call;
“Each year the Fire Department comments on request for Smoke Detector locations. Each year we have reported an increase I requests for both sales of homes and for new homes being built. In fact, the demand increased to the point where another era has ended in the Fire Department. As of April 1989 Town Meeting, the Fire Department has included in its budget, a line item for all inspections. This will enable the Fire Department to pay the inspecting officer the fee applicable to the inspection being performed. Also, as of the April 1989 Town Meeting, all inspection fees (oil burners, gas, smoke detectors, etc.) will be charged per visit, not per project. This is a major change and should be noted. Every time an inspector ahs to visit, and revisit a site, another full fee will be assessed. As for the inspectors receiving the inspection fee, while that is new that in it self doesn’t change inspection requirements. It simply means that the fees no longer go into the Town’s General Fund and the inspection gets done by volunteer time and at the out of pocket expense of the inspector. The Department is simply re-directing the fees to the inspector to pay for the cost of doing the inspections. All Fees are still payable to the Town of Cummington, preferable by check. The inspector will submit a bill to the Fire Department for reimbursement. This adjustment in procedure for Fire Department inspectors finally brings the Fire Department in line with every other inspector in town i.e. plumbing; gas, electrical, and building.
Turning to training, the annual First Aid, First Responder Class held in Cummington was very successful this past year. The classes are held generally from late January through March and are not only interesting, but beneficial to the communities at large. Everyone is welcome. When you se the notice under Suburban news, make plans to join us.
Last year we indicated a multi-town drill was scheduled for the Cummington Fairgrounds. The drill was timed to take advantage of the newly installed water system in Cummington, which for the first time in history, saw the water main go by the front gate of the Fair. The drill was a huge success and presently the Cummington fire Department is working with the underwriters of the Fair to have the water main extended onto the Fairgrounds to a minimum of three hydrant locations to be determined by the Fire Department.
On the subject of the new town water system, the Cummington Fire Department again wishes to acknowledge the important significance of having a readily available ample supply of water for fire fighting should the need arise. Summer or winter it doesn’t matter. If the water supply in rivers and ponds is low due to drought or frozen over the fires in our community don’t care. They burn freely until they either run out of fuel or enough water can be brought to bear to achieve extinguishment. The Town of Cummington has chosen a path toward the latter along with insuring a reliable domestic supply.
Finally in this report the Cummington Fire Department has begun the arduous task of replacing our 1962 Engine 2 pumper. To date we have had one vendor in to discuss vehicles with the Department’s selection committee with several others scheduled.” – Bernard L. Forgea, 1988 Annual Report
“Each year we try to keep the readers of this report
apprized of the latest developments in the area of training for the
The members of the Cummington Fire Association, Inc. are proud to announce that a contract has been signed for the purchase of a new ambulance to replace the venerable coach that has served us so well since 1975. Last year we reminded everyone that our 1975 model was purchased for $18,000 and the projected cost to replace it was in the “neighborhood” of $60,000. Well, as it turned out the “neighborhood” was considerably larger than expected. In fact, the “neighborhood” finally turned out to be not only the entire back yard and “south forty” but also nearly the entire town. The bottom line delivered, in-service, price of the new ambulance is $76,510!
The time for placing the new unit in service is December 1988 January 1989. Hopefully we have a warm sunny mid-winter weekend so we can schedule an open house for all to come and share with us the joy of the receipt of this vehicle.” – Cummington Fire Association, Inc, 1988 Annual Report
1989 - $6,662.00 operating, $1,700.00
radios, $148,273.00 pumper tanker purchase, 1 lightning strike, 4 still alarms
(smoke in building), 2 chimney fires, 6 car accidents, 10 automatic dialer, 2
brush fires, 3 car fires, 3 box alarms, 5 mutual aid calls; The most serious
fires were the losses of the Albert Farms house on Dodwells Road, unoccupied at
the time of the fire, and even more tragic was the Higgins fire on Bush Road,
on 4/11/89 in which the Kevin Higgins family lost not only their home but all
of their belongings.
“On training, the department ran its annual First Aid First Responder program and on the county’s first CPR programs under the newly revised criteria outlined by the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association. Instead of the usual 3-4 hour re-certification, this year all re-certifications were mandatory 14-hour programs. This is a tremendous burden to those who already have such limited available time.
We reported last year that we had begun the task of replacing our 1962 Engine 2 pumper. The task was completed in June of 1989 when the Annual Town Meeting unanimously appropriated $148,273.00 for the purchase of a Pierce, combination 1,000-gallon pumper tanker. This unit incorporates many of the changes necessary to equipment to insure efficient firefighting capabilities with today’s decline in the numbers of available volunteers, especially during the weekdays. The Town is expecting delivery of this unit in April of 1990.
Finally, four members of the Cummington Fire Department
and
On Friday, January 27, 1989, at
approximately 2118 hours, all Cummington
Upon arrival at this scene, the first units observed that two motor vehicles had been involved in a collision and immediately thereafter these two vehicles had been struck by a third vehicle resulting in the passenger door of one of the original vehicles being pushed entirely through the vehicle into the driver’s seat. The crashes also resulted in the rupturing of one vehicle’s gasoline tank, spilling its contents on the highway. By now, all three vehicles were sitting in a pond of raw gasoline that was growing by the second as gasoline continued to pour from the damaged tank.
Closer investigation revealed the driver of the most severely damaged vehicle was trapped in her crushed auto. This individual was conscious and pleading with the rescuers to free her.
At this point three Firefighter/First Responders and one Fire fighter/EMT having evaluated the scene and realizing the potential danger involved, with total disregard for their own safety, chose to attempt a rescue of the trapped driver.
The four firefighters directed other arriving personnel to seal off the highway to all traffic, left orders for a blanket of foam to be laid upon arrival of the first piece of fire apparatus, and then, proceeded into the gasoline spill to the pinned driver. Several more minutes were to pass before the first engine or the ambulance arrived.
Continuing to ignore the dangerous situation they were in, the four firefighters methodically performed a secondary survey, which revealed a very severely angulated fracture of the patient’s right femur. The rescuers place a collar on the patient, tied the legs together to splint and support the broken limb and removed the windshield from the vehicle to facilitate access for extrication.
By now the ambulance and engine had arrived. Containment devices were located to prevent the further spread of gasoline and a cover of foam was spread in place. The four rescuers continued to direct and assist the final extrication of the patient on a long board.
Their heroic effort resulted in the successful extrication, with no additional injury, of a victim that otherwise may well have perished, had these four volunteers not chosen to act as promptly as they did.
They were able to perform the required first aid functions due to their countless hours of training as First Responders / EMT’s.
Their decision to go forward in the face of almost certain disaster is a tribute to their personal courage, dedication, and commitment as volunteers.
For their unselfish act of heroism, with total disregard for their safety and well-being, the Cummington Fire Department proudly salutes Firefighter/First Responders Conrad Liebenow, Kevin Martin, and Michael Horton and Firefighter/EMT David Celino.
These Firefighters answered an alarm “above and beyond the call of duty.”
Very truly yours,
Bernard L. Forgea, Chief
Cummington Fire Department
Cc: Cummington Board of Selectmen
The Cummington Fire Department-
“As in the past we attempt through this annual report to keep the towns of Plainfield and Cummington updated on activities such as training. This past year was particularly difficult for the EMT’s as the new CPR regulations became effective and instead of a two to four hour annual re-certification, each member of the squad not faced up to twelve hours of class and “hands on.” Proudly each member met the challenge and many spent additional time to be certified as “Instructor Aids” so that they could assist the instructors when training our local First Responder Police and firefighters.”
“In our last report we informed you that we expected delivery of our long awaited new ambulance somewhere between December of 1988 and January of 1989. Well, in fact we took delivery on June 14, 1989. One delay after another resulted in several months waiting but at least we feel that upon delivery we got what we bargained for. Were we Happy? Well let’s put it this way, there are approximately eighteen members on the squad and on the day of delivery, probably eighty showed up! On the very day we selected to swap from “Old faithful” to the new unit (June 15, 1989), we had gathered the entire squad to assist with the transfer and wouldn’t you know it, just minutes before the official “out of serve” for the old unit there came a call not just for Cummington or Plainfield, but a mutual aid call to cover on of our neighboring towns. Just like the plan calls for, the duty crew jumped in the old unit and covered the call. Interestingly enough, and the reason for all of the rhetoric is that three hours later when the duty crew returned, most of the people were still assembled to assist with the transfer of equipment. We all waited many, many years for this new unit and it does incorporate so many improvements over the 1975 unit that its difficult to remember how inconvenient “it used to be.”” – Cummington Fire Association Inc., 1989 Annual Report
1990 - $7,300 operating, 5 box alarms, 1
chimney fire, 6 car accidents, 1 car fire, 3 lightning strikes, 17 still alarms
(includes automatic dialers, unauthorized burnings and smoke from cooking), 1
mutual aid; The most serious fire of course was the tragic loss on December 15,
1989 of the Ralph Page home on Nash Road.
Bitter cold temperature accompanied strong winds, which instantly turn
hose lines and water spray into ice.
Fire units from the surrounding towns of Plainfield, Goshen, and
Williamsburg assisted Cummington personnel in the attack on this blaze. The Cummington Fire Department would like to
express its thanks to these hearty souls.
“The Departments Annual First Aid First Responder Program held throughout January and February of 1990 was another hugh success. The program continues to provide the required training necessary for surrounding communities’ police and fire personnel to meet state regulations.
On an even brighter note, usual cadre of instructors received a tremendous boost this year with the addition of John Horton, David Celino, Scott Keith, Heather Can field, Kevin Martin, and Tom Streeter to the list of CPR instructors available to our program. Here we offer not only a thank you to these new volunteer instructors but also a very special “ Thank you “ to the Hampshire County Red Cross Instructor Trainer Chris Bak of Belchertown. Chris traveled from Belchertown many nights to provide the instruction and guidance for this class! Thanks Chris!
On Friday, May 4, 1990 the long awaited day finally arrived. At approximately 4 PM Clayton Cromack, the salesman for the Blanchard Fire Apparatus, delivered Cummington’s new 1,000 gallon pumper tanker. After several hours of admiring the unit on the apron in front of the station, it was moved into the highway garage where Mr. Cromack and Byron Brooks (owner of Blanchard) conducted a five-hour class on the “care and feeding” of Cummington’s newest arrival. This exhaustive presentation covered everything to do with this new truck from basic pump theory and actual repair of the pump, to the proper way to open the engine compartment hood. Perhaps on of the greatest benefits of this class is yet to be realized. The entire program was videotaped for future training sessions reviewing various aspects of the vehicle or for orientation for new members. This type of resource was only a dream just a few short years ago.
Once Friday’s class concluded the Department reconvened on Saturday morning (in the pouring rain) to spend another 5 hours in a “hands on” pump class actually operating the pump. This session was followed on Saturday afternoon with another 5 hours of driver training during which each member of the department was required to drive, operate and become familiar with the various aspects of driving a fully loaded fire truck that among other changes from our existing trucks, had an automatic transmission and not the usual standard shift.
Sunday morning concluded the driver training and that afternoon the department met at the station and swapped equipment from the old E 2 to the new unit. By Sunday evening some 28 Cummington Firefighters had been fully trained in and had actually operated and driven the new piece.
The following day, Monday, four members of the Cummington Fire Department, Bernie and Dennis Forgea, Dann Emerson, and Gary Galvagni along with Bill Benoit from the Goshen Fire Department left for St. Paul, Minnesota to attend the manufacturer’s school on maintenance and repair of the pump in the new fire truck. The week long school provided us with the knowledge and contacts necessary to provide many years of service for our new equipment.” – Bernard L. Forgea, 1990 Annual Report
“Our annual training in CPR recertification took on a new look last year as well. In 1989 we reported that each member now had to complete a 12 hours course as compared to the old 3-hour course. This extra amount of class time and the change in teaching format made it nearly impossible for the existing five instructors to complete the re-certifications in time. The Red Cross changed the ratio of students to manikins a class could operate on so we begged borrowed and were given manikins by various agencies. Northeast Utilities generously loaned some dolls to our volunteer effort; The Hilltown Police Association donated 2 very expensive manikins to our group; and the Chesterfield CPR Committee closed their bank account and donated the entire proceeds to our effort. To each of you we say a very sincere “Thank you” and to all of your “You just make life so much nicer.” We would also have to have VCR equipment available fore each class so wouldn’t you know the Friends of the Library loaned their unit to us as did the Plainfield Firefighters Association. You all are very special people and certainly deserve the same praise and thanks expressed to those connected with manikin donations. Thank you ever so much! We are not able to run simultaneously, classes on all three floors of the Community House. Only one problem remains! We now had enough equipment and space to teach the new format and reduced ratios of 1 manikin to 2-3 students. But, where do you get the necessary instructors? (You will have to read the Fire Department reports to find out.)
We have been operating out of the “new” ambulance since June 14,1989 and without fear of contradiction we are happy to report that after one complete year of service we wouldn’t change a thing. In fact we delivered a set of our specifications to a nearby town who after trying out our unit, wanted to purchase one just like it.
One other major item to be mentioned is the fact that the
Cummington
We continue to interface more and more with the Critical Response Intervention Team (CRIT) from Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton and LIFE Team from Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield. In fact in many cases if we are able to contact one of these units immediately upon our receipt of a call (depending upon the nature of the emergency) they can be enroute to Cummington or Plainfield before we reach the incident scene. In a few cases due to extended extraction problems or other run complications these units have actually been able to reach us in the field at the scene prior to our beginning transport! This kind of Paramedic – Doctor assistance on site combined with the drug therapy they can deliver to augment a defibrillator in action certainly move rural emergency care a giant step in the right direction.” – Cummington Fire Association, Inc, 1990 Annual Report
1991 - $7,299.86 operating, $3,925.00
radios, 11 smoke in building, 22 alarm sounding, 2 tree on wires, 2 auto
accidents, 1 search party, 3 auto fire, 4 chimney fire, 2 brush fire, 4 mutual
aid;
“Of the fifty-one calls responded to by far the most serious were the Mutual Aid calls to Plainfield on Route 116 on August 13, of 1990 when a home was completely destroyed by fire and then just three days later the call to River Road in Worthington on August 16, 1990 at Newborn Co. headquarters where the Mutual Aid efforts from several communities combined to save the main house of Newborn Co. while the attached barn was entirely consumed in flames. No small task for any of the departments. Our own Department has every reason to be extremely proud of its performance during that incident. In fact a lengthy video was made during that fire that was show extensively at the Cummington Fair in 1990. That video now resides in the Departments files.
This year marked the departing of long time firefighter and Officer David Wilcox. David regretfully submitted his resignation to the Department he served so long to pursue business opportunities in another part of the country. The Cummington Fire Department bids Lt. Wilcox farewell and offers our sincerest sense of gratitude for his long years of dedicated service to the Town of Cummington. Good Luck David.
David’s position was not easily filled. The process calls for all members of the Fire Department to be offered the opportunity to nominate a replacement lieutenant. The nominations are based on training, leadership, and in general the skill, knowledge and ability of the candidates. Then using the departing officer as the standard to be measured against, the Department’s firefighters (no officers) recommend a final candidate to the officers for confirmation.
The Officers meet to review the nominee’s credentials and to interview the nominee. Any officer may ask the nominee any questions on any firefighting related subject(s) as they desire. Hopefully this process will produce an individual worthy of replacing the departing officer. In this instance the Department nominated and confirmed Delbert Robbins to replace David Wilcox. Delbert’s name was presented to the Board of Selectpersons and finally Lt. Delbert Robbins was sworn in as a Lieutenant in the Cummington Fire Department.
So much detail is offered on this process because it happens so infrequently that most people have no idea how the leaders of the Fire Department are chosen. In fact one would have to go back to 1980-81 to find the last promotions. Congratulations to Delbert.
The leading category of calls, alarms sounding, deserves mention and some explanation as well. This group contains “all other” calls, i.e. insects in alarms, workmen setting off units while working on systems, moisture, dust and dirt in alarms, etc. This group could be significantly reduced by property owners doing timely inspection and maintenance on their systems. While it is encouraging that there are ever increasing numbers of alarms being installed it is doubly important to maintain these systems as each alarm requires a response by the Fire Department which over time results in an impact on our operating budget.
On a different note:
As a result of the inspection of the Fire Department performed by Insurance Services Organization (ISO) the group which determines the insurance risk of each community for Fire Insurance companies to set their rates by, the Fire Department undertook an annual hose test which requires every single length of hose to be taken off of each piece of apparatus each year and undergo a rigorous test. Each piece of hose must be numbered and each year a test is performed on that length. The hose itself must not only be marked but also a log for every length must be maintained as well.
After several length meetings with the ISO Investigator, to review Department records, dispatch, training, equipment, and the town’s new water system the inspector retreated to evaluate Cummington’s situation relative to an improved rating for Fire Insurance. Presently the town is rated a 9. This rating was changed from an 8 in the 1970’s because of a decline the town’s water system. We are hopeful to regain the number 8 rating and perhaps even improve to a lower number. The lower the number the less property owners must pay for fire insurance in the area of the town rated by the number. However, not all of the town has been reviewed. Only that portion included under the new water system was rated.
The ISO inspector did provide us with the opportunity to modify many of the aspects of record keeping, testing, and maintenance performed by the Department. This in and of itself will pay dividends to the town over time.
With regards to training: The Department hosted the Massachusetts Fire Academy’s Liquid Propane Gas fire school in May of 1991. This action packed training is the subject of still another video in the Department’s library and in fact such a good job of filming was done that the Mass. Academy requested a copy for use in their future classes. During this class a significant first was achieved by the Cummington and Goshen Fire Departments. Never before had the Academy’s instructors seen this program while drafting all of the water required. Normally all water is supplied via city water mains to pumpers which in turn relay the water under controlled pressure/ volume to the fire site. What started out as a skeptical group of Academy instructors was quickly won over to the rural volunteer concept of getting water from draft. The drill went beautifully under perfect weather conditions.
Staying with training for a moment, it is a pleasure to
report that six member of the Cummington Fire Department were able to attend
along with 6 other Hilltown firefighters the factory pump school put on by the
manufacturers of the pump in our 1970 Maxim (54E-2) and of two of our portable
pumps, the Hale Pump Co. Of Conshohohoken, PA.
Tom Streeter, Rich Granger, Gary Galvagni, Delbert Robbins, Dennis
Forgea, and Bernie Forgea Attended the three day program which included not
only a tour of the factory but also a very beautiful adventure in Hale’s parts
room as well. What a difference it makes
talking to an old timer in the parts room about an obsolete part for our old
portable pumps, versus a voice at the end of an 800-telephone number who says,
“that part is out of production. You
will have to replace the pump.” Needless
to say, we obtained the necessary parts to keep our 1950’s vintage pumps
running smoothly! – Bernard L. Forgea, 1991 Annual Report
“Interestingly enough, our ambulance responded to fifty-three (53) calls during the past year. While that number appears low, consider that each response is very much an emergency and very few are simple transports anymore.
We continue to offer each year a comprehensive First Responder First Aid and CPR training program for area fire and police departments. This past year we had students from Smith College Security Force in our program as evidence of the growing need for this training. We reported in last year’s report that we had gained six new CPR instructors to assist in our training program. They received a warm welcome in the classes and soon got over any “stage fright” they may have experienced on opening night. A hearty thank you to all who assisted in putting on all of this training.
As we close 1991 and look to 1992 we are struggling with the concept of E-911 (Enhanced 911) for our town. If we are successful in achieving our goal, any emergency call, police, fire, or ambulance will be made by dialing 911. Many obstacles remain to be overcome and may have already been addressed. A region wide committee ahs been appointed with the charge to develop the 911 concept for our area. This committee has toiled unbelievable hours on this matter and I’m sure will not rest until 911 is a reality in the Hilltowns. With so many other projects, activities, training, etc. going on it’s a miracle that anyon