Northampton Fire Rescue, Northampton, MA Videos

Firefighter Mike Pawloski completed his final tour this past week, after dedicated service to the City of Northampton for 32 years. Mike has been a mentor to many firefighters over the years and has helped shape the department for the future. Mikes dedication, service and work ethic have been a model for those coming after him. He will be missed, but we hope he enjoys his well earned retirement.

Last week was Deputy Chief Vanasse's last shift after 32+ years of service to the City of Northampton. It is tradition in the fire service to be driven home on a fire engine and complete a final sign off on the radio. Listen to DC Vanasse's sign off below. Congratulations Chief! Enjoy a long, healthy retirement and thank you for all you've done for our department and community.

2023 Open House
Saturday is our annual Open House! Rain or shine, we invite you to our Headquarters Station. We can't wait to see you there. Bagels, pizzas, and beverages generously donated. This is a fun and free event for all families! Thank you to our friends joining us and those who have made such generous donations!! Northampton Police Department Massachusetts State Police Red's Towing, Recovery, & Transport, Inc Quality Cleaning & Restoration Tandem Bagel Company Northampton Animal Control Hampshire Sheriff's Office, Jail and House of Corrections Highway Auto Salvage Big Y World Class Market Northampton Division of Community Care VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System Northwestern District Attorney's Office

Always keep a close eye on what you’re cooking. For foods with longer cook times, such as those that are simmering or baking, set a timer to help monitor them carefully. ▪️ A continued set of three loud beeps—beep, beep, beep—means smoke or fire. Get out, call 9-1-1, and stay out. ▪️ A single “chirp” every 30 or 60 seconds means the battery is low and must be changed. ▪️ Chirping that continues after the battery has been replaced means the alarm is at the end of its life and the unit must be replaced. All smoke alarms should be replaced after 10 years. #FirePreventionWeek #NFPA

Firefighter bailout is an emergency, self-rescue procedure. This tactic is used when there is a rapid change of conditions during a structure fire and a firefighter finds themselves trapped on the upper floors of a building. With the proper equipment and training, a firefighter can "bailout" of a window and lower them selves to the ground utilizing a harness, rope, descent control device and an anchor point. These pieces of equipment are carried in the firefighters gear at all times so they are always available should a firefighter find themselves in a situation that they need it. You can probably guess that this tactic is not utilized very often. It is therefore imperative that we train on the procedure so that we are competent in its deployment. Training at our current acquired structure will continue this week. Be on the lookout for more photos and videos!

Engine 2 was placed into service this morning as the frontline engine at Headquarters. This video shows E2 responding to it's very first call for a Motor Vehicle Crash (MVC) downtown with A1!

Roof Fire at Smith College
At 0905 this morning, all Northampton Fire Units were dispatched to the Neilson Library (which is under construction) at Smith College for a structure fire. Engine 1, Engine 3, Ladder 1, Car 4 and A1 responded. Upon arrival, a small fire was found within a void space within the roofing system. The fire was knocked down utilizing extinguishers through a small access point. Further interior access to the void space was not possible, therefore requiring access from on top of the roof. Due to the construction in the area, vehicle access was difficult and Ladder 1 was not able to reach the fire area. In order to cut the roof and confirm the fire was extinguished, two firefighters, wearing safety harnesses, were tethered to anchor points higher up on the roof. Those fire fighters then made their way across the roof, utilized a chain saw and tools to remove parts of the roofing system and confirm the fire was completely extinguished. While those firefighters worked, two additional firefighters were above them, tending to the safety lines, additional firefighters were in the bucket of the ladder truck with a hose line ready if needed and multiple other firefighters were on the ground assisting with coordination and other tasks. The combined effort of our on-duty crew resulted in minor damage to the building and no injuries. Six off duty firefighters were called in to cover additional calls within the city while the on-duty crew was committed. Thank you to Easthampton FD for assisting with a medical call in our city while we were at work. The fire is currently under investigation. No further information is available.

Short video from Sunday’s live burn training.

Today, Columbia Gas of Massachusetts was at the station to do a refresher course on natural gas and propane emergencies. This training included a demonstration portion that allowed firefighters to visualize some of the different properties of each gas. This helps us to understand how each gas will behave in the event of a leak. Thank you to Columbia Gas of Massachusetts for this very informative and interactive training!

Propane

Columbia Gas Tranining
Today, Columbia Gas of Massachusetts was at the station to do a refresher course on natural gas and propane emergencies. This training included a demonstration portion that allowed firefighters to visualize some of the different properties of each gas. This helps us to understand how each gas will behave in the event of a leak. Thank you to Columbia Gas of Massachusetts for this very informative and interactive training!

This month firefighters are training on a driving course in the old Lia Honda lot. The apparatus we routinely drive is significantly larger than your average vehicle and they definitely don't handle quite as well!

If you missed last night's Family Fourth fireworks, here is a behind the scenes look at the finale! What a great show!