2016-Annual Town Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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Report of the Fire & Rescue Department To the Honorable Board of Selectmen and the Citizens of the Town of Mashpee: On behalf of the members of the Mashpee Fire & Rescue Department, it is my honor to submit our report for calendar year 2016. Mission "The Mission of the Mashpee Fire & Rescue Department is to minimize loss and suffering within our community. We accomplish this by education, training, and the mitigation of emergency incidents within the limit of available resources." Personnel As your Fire Chief, I am proud to work with thirty-three full-time and two part-time highly -qualified and dedicated employees. Their work to accomplish the mission of this Department represents a 24-hour a day, 7-day a week commitment to the citizens we proudly serve. As of December 31, 2016, the current authorized strength of the Department was thirty-five operational members (4 captains, 4 lieutenants, 23 firefighters, 1 fire prevention/inspector,1 call firefighter, I Fire Chief, 1 Deputy Fire Chief, plus 2 non -operational members (1 Administrative Secretary and 1 Billing Clerk) for a total of thirty-seven members. Operations During 2016, our Fire & Rescue Department responded to 3,595 emergency incidents, compared to 3,616 responses in 2015. We responded to 2,385 Emergency Medical calls, with 1,224 of those qualified as Advance Life Support (ALS) calls. Wildfire Planning Wildfire mitigation projects continue in the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge. The use of prescription fire for habitat restoration and fire fuels reduction was accomplished again this season on U.S. Fish and Wildlife property near Great Hay Road and Amy Brown Road and at Great Hay Road between Mercantile Way and Degrass Road. There are prescribed fires planned for the spring of 2017 off of Great Hay Road between Mercantile Way and Degrass Road. With the partnership still in effect and the signing of a memorandum of understand last December, more beneficial prescribed burns are planned for 2017. All of these planned prescription burns are accomplished with the existing partnership of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, Massachusetts Fish and Wildlife, Orenda Wildlife Land Trust, and the Town of Mashpee. New for 2017 The Department will have a new Fire Engine in service by the fall of 2017. This will allow the departments two main Fire Engine to be five years old or newer. The reliability gleaned from these two Fire Engines will serve this community for many years to come. The new Fire Engine will look a lot like the one the Town purchased in 2013. The differences are behind the scenes in the equipment the new Fire Engine will carry. The current Fire Engine has a typical "Jaws of Life" extrication tool. This extrication tool is used to safely and quickly cut a vehicle open, allowing the firefighters access and treatment of a patients injuries. The new Fire Engine will have a state of the art battery operated extrication tool free from the hose lines used in the current "Jaws of Life" extrication tool. Additionally, a battery operated exhaust fan used to clear smoke from a structure and battery lights used by firefighters on an emergency scene are both designed free of the cumbersome cords normally associated with these operations. New computers and a program for recording medical and fire incidents will be online before the end of this fiscal year. Both of these upgrades are vital to the accuracy and timely reporting that has the ability to streamline data for the hospitals and statistical data requirements from the State. Thank You I wish to thank the Board of Selectmen for their confidence in each and every member of the Fire Department. Further, I would like to thank the administration, department heads, and members of all Town departments. Your support and assistance is critical to the successful completion of our mission. On behalf of the Fire Department, I want to thank the citizens of Mashpee for their continued support and appreciation of our work. Respectfully submitted, Thomas C. Rullo Fire Chief 106