Newton - pop 90,000 - 18.33 square miles - a city
Newton FD - 911 - 483.4625R - 6 stations
Sta 1 - E1 L3 - Church St - Newton Corner
Sta 2 - E2 L1 - Comm Ave at Wash St - Auburndale
Sta 3 - E3 E6 ERU C2 - Centre St at Willow St - Newton Centre
Sta 4 - E4 - Craft St at Watertown St
Sta 7 - E7 L2 - Elliot St - Newton Highlands
Sta 10 - E10 - Dedham St - Oak Hill
-----------------------------------------------
Response Levels
Street Box - 2E + 1L + C2
Central Station Alarm - 1E
Building Fire - 3E + 1L + C2
Working Fire - ERU* + 1L (ERU is an unmanned light/air/tool truck driven to the scene by an E)
2nd Alarm - 2E + 1L* (no L responds on 2nd if a WF was transmitted)
3rd Alarm - 2E + 1L
Ambulance Calls - 1 Private Ambulance + 1 Police Car + 1E
-----------------------------------------------
Fire Alarm Signals
Box 10-49 = Announcement of Death of a Fire Dept Member
2 before Box # = 2nd alarm (2nd alarm of box 12 is transmitted as 2 - 12 then 2 - 12)
3 before Box # - 3rd alarm (3rd alarm of box 12 is transmitted 3 - 12 then 3 - 12)
2-2 then 2-2 before Box # = allout / fire under control
-----------------------------------------------
Dispatch Operations
The police and fire dispatch centers have been consolidated into the Newton Police HQ in West Newton Square. Fire companies are primarily dispatched via radio. One firefighter is always on "watch" duty when a company is in quarters. The firefighter at the "watch" desk on the apparatus/garage floor is responsible for talking to members of the public who visit the fire station and is responsible for ensuring that companies respond to incidents that are received via the telegraph, telephone, or radio system. The "watch" desk in only staffed when there is at least one company in the station.
Backup dispatch methods include telephone, and station loudspeakers connected via phone lines to the dispatch center (vocals). A type A Class B telegraphic bell system is used and all boxes are beeped on the radio channel. Allouts are also beeped. No paging is done on the fire radio channel.
-----------------------------------------------
High Hazard Locations - Newton Wellesley Hospital, Boston College, Marriott Hotel, Chestnut Hill Mall, TV Towers and Industrial Buildings near Rte 128
-----------------------------------------------
Radio Info
---------------
Radio System
Channel 1 - 483.4625R - Primary Radio Channel
Channel 2 - 483.4625 - direct/short range channel (the dispatchers cannot hear any units transmitting on this channel)
Channel 3 - ????
Channel 4 - 483.3125R - "Metrofire Red" - mutual aid fireground channel for Greater Boston area
----------------
Radio Test - Weekly - Mondays - 0930 - 483.4625R
Mobiles - Engines 1,2,3,4,6,7,10 - Ladders 1,2,3 - C2 C2A C1 - Rescue Truck - Spare Eng 16 + 20
Portables - Engines 1,2,3,4,6,7,10 - Ldrs 1,2,3
May 24, 1999 - spare Engine 14 + ?20 + ?26 - spare Ladder ?4
30 August 2000 - "Metrofire Red" Radio Channel Test - 483.3125R - every Wednesday morning - approx 1020 hours - mobile radios - Engine 1,2,3,4,6,7,10 - Ladder 1,2,3 - C2 - EIU - (reserve units) - Eng 11,12,14,16, Ldr 4 - portable radios - Engine 1,2,3,4,6,7,10 Ldr 1,2 3 C2 C2A - field units are very weak - the problem is the patch from 486.3125 to 483.3125R - no radios suffer from static - it is just a matter of low/weak audio levels in the repeater (I am not a radio repairman)
-----------------------------------------------
Company Manning
January, February, and March - 1 officer + 3 firefighters per E - 1 officer + 4 firefighters per L - Deputy Chief plus Aide in C2
Remainder of the Year - Minimums - 1 officer + 2 firefighters per E - 1 officer + 3 firefighters per L - Deputy and Aide in C2
-----------------------------------------------
Online Info Sources
Unofficial FD Website with photos of all stations with all rigs parked in front - 1999
-----------------------------------------------
Emergency Medical Services
911 calls for ambulance service in Newton receive a response from the PD, FD, and AMR. (AMR is American Medical Response - a private company that provides ambulances and staff to the City of Newton.). A typical EMS call will be handled by 1 police unit + 1 fire unit + 1 AMR unit.
Sept 2000 - at this time AMR provides two 24 hour ALS ambos plus one 12 hour BLS ambo to Newton. Medic 1 operates from the Craft St fire station and is staffed by 2 paramedics. Medic 2 plus Rescue 1 operate from the Willow St fire station. Medic 2 is staffed by 2 paramedics. Rescue 1 is staffed by 2 EMTs and operates from 10AM to 10PM.
Police units and AMR units operate on the Newton police radio channel. Fire units operate on the Newton Fire radio channel.
Historical Info - In the 1970s, all Newton police officers were trained as EMTs and they operated the city ambulance service. In the ?1980s, Chaulk Ambulance Service began to operate the ambulances. ASA took over Chaulk - AMR took over ASA. Chaulk operated 2 BLS + 1 ALS unit for Newton until ?1990 - at that time Chaulk changed the city staffing to 1 ALS + 1 BLS unit (with Chaulk transfer trucks providing backup). (Transfer trucks were Chaulk units from adjoining cities, or Chaulk trucks used to transport patients from medical facilities to homes).
-----------------------------------------------
Last updated - 4/2/99 - 5/15/99 - 7/31/99 - 1Sept00 - 22Sept00 - EMS
-----------------------------------------------