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ered in April of 2003. The funding for this purchase Report of the comes directly from ambulance receipts. Fire Chief Significant Responses On August 17th of this past year our region was To the Honorable Board of Selectmen hit by a severe fast moving thunderstorm. Lightning and the Citizens of the Town of Mashpee from this storm hit many homes and businesses on the Upper Cape causing numerous fire alarm malfunctions It is my honor to communicate to you the 2003 and many small structure fires. During this storm,and report of the Mashpee Fire & Rescue Department. amid 3 other emergency responses this department responded to a reported lightning strike at 185 Willow Our Mission Bend Drive. Due to the construction style of this large "The Mission of the Mashpee Fire & Rescue home and the fact that investigators believe that the Department is to minimize loss and suffering within lightning caused fire to start in multiple locations in our community. We accomplish this by education, the home,the home was destroyed. This loss was esti. training and the mitigation of emergency incidents mated greater than 2 million dollars. This fire repre. loss this co rest residential fire community within the limit of available resources". sents the lag ty has ever seen. Personnel As Fire Chief, I recognize that the greatest asset On November 29, 2003 Mashpee experienced of this department is its thirty one full-time and one the first fire related death in more than 10 years. The part time employees. Time and time again our fire victim, identified by the State Medical Examiner per- sonnel demonstrate to me that our fire department has as Sheila Nash, died in a fire that totally consumed the the best Firefighters, EMTs and Paramedics on Cape room she was found in.The wind driven fire destroyed Cod andpossibly, in all of Massachusetts. To each her home located at 252 Wheeler Road. Due to the and every member,I thank you for your continued pro- severe damage caused by the fire, a definite cause fessionalism and commitment to the people of our could not be determined,but we have reason to believe community. the fire was most likely started by smoking combined with the use of home oxygen. My condolences to the Congratulations to Lieutenants John Phelan and Nash family. Joseph Fellows for completing degree requirements in their professional education paths. Lt. Phelan com- Thank you Thank you to the Board of Selectmen for their pleted his Associate Degree in Paramedic Science. Lt confidence in each and every member of the depart Fellows completed his Bachelor Degree in Fire Science. ment. i' In November, Firefighter Paramedic Brian Thank you to the administration, department Messier left this department to return to his previous heads and the members of each and every town depart- ment. Your support and assistance is critical for us to position with the Fairhaven Massachusetts Fire Department. Replacing Brian is Firefighter Paramedic complete our mission. Scott Fetterman. Welcome Scott. On behalf of this department, I thank you, our Operations community, for your continued support and apprecia- During 2002, your Fire & Rescue Department tion of our work. responded to 2,410 emergencies. This reflects an increase of 8.6% in responses from last year. Respectfully submitted, At the May 2002 Annual Town Meeting, voters George W. Baker approved the purchase of two new advanced life sup- Fire Chief port ambulances. These new ambulances were deliv- 98