Somerville - a city - 3.9 square miles - pop 85,000 - 483.3875R - 483.2625R
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Frontline Units
Sta 1 - Broadway at Walnut
Engine 1
Engine 2
Ladder 2
C2 - ?ranking district chief
Sta 3 - Union Square
E3 -
Tower 1 - big Pierce rear mount tower ladder ?3 axle (at Sta 4 now - June 2000)
Sta 4 - E4 - Lowell at Holland
Engine 4
Sta 6 - Teele Square
E6 - 99 Pierce
L3
C3 - junior District Chief
Sta 7 - Highland Ave at Willow
Engine 7
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Response Levels
Smoke or Fire Reported In a Building - 3E 2L 1C - box sent
Building Fire - 3E + 2L + 1C - box sent
Minor Building Fire - 2E + 1L + 1C - box sent
Commercial Building Weekdays Central Station Alarm - 1E 1L 1C
Ambulance Call - 1E + 1 private ambulance (nearest box location is given with all calls)
Interstate Highway 93 boxes - box 931 or 932 is transmitted for all reports of motor vehicle accidents or motor vehicle fires - the automatic response is 1 Som E + 1 Som L + 1 Som Chief + 1 Boston E + 1 Boston L + 1 Medford E + 1 Medford L - (1/03) - this policy has been in effect for at least 10 years - if injuries are reported then a ambulance from Somerville is also dispatched
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Dispatch Operations
2 fire dispatchers staff the fire dispatch center at Fire HQ at all times. Stations are dispatched via landlines and the telegraphic bell system. All calls are announced via Channel 1 on the radio system. A Class B telegraphic bell system is used. Boxes are beeped via the Channel 1 radio system - 2 rounds per box. Four twos before the box number signifies the allout/recall signal. No radio test is conducted. Channel 1 (483.3875R) is the primary radio channel. Units responding to a box alarm are directed to use Channel 2 (483.2625R).
Jan 2003 - The dispatchers call themselves "Fire Alarm". No codes are used. No paging is usually done on either radio channel - (the Chief might have one pager on 483.2625R) - (info added 1/03)
2002 - Daily radio tests are conducted at 0800. (1/03)
2002 - Portable Radios - "Engine 4" is the officer - "Engine 4 Alpha" is the driver - "Engine 4 Bravo" is the back step man (1/03)
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Radio System
WII775 - 3/95FCC - mobiles 20ERP/40W - 125 Lowell St - 90W/720ERP - 483.3875FB2 - 1/90 ?first used - 262 Medford St - 483.2625R - 90W/270ERP - January 1990 ?first used
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PW WPRH876 09/26/2000 new license SOMERVILLE, CITY OF SOMERVILLE, MA ctrl 93 HIGHLAND AVE SOMERVILLE MA 617/625-6600 [applicant is a governmental entity. radios will be used to coordinate fire department communications.] (t fully loaded and they previously had a license on these frequencies, i see no need to return or make any changes. ok to process. tgs/pjy/9/26/00.)
483.2625 MO mob 8 KMRA 422312N 0710635W SOMERVILLE (MIDDLESEX) MA 483.2875 " 483.3125 " 483.3875 "
483.3875 FB2 mob rly 125 LOWELL ST SOMERVILLE (MIDDLESEX) MA
486.2625 MO mob 8 KMRA 422312N 0710635W SOMERVILLE (MIDDLESEX) MA 486.2875 " 486.3125 " 486.3875 "
483.3875 FB2 mob rly 15 WESTON AVE SOMERVILLE (MIDDLESEX) MA
483.2625 FB2 mob rly 252 MEDFORD ST SOMERVILLE (MIDDLESEX) MA
483.2875 FX1 fixd ctrl sta 266 BROADWAY SOMERVILLE (MIDDLESEX) MA 483.3125 "
483.3875 FB2 mob rly DAVIS SQ T STA SOMERVILLE (MIDDLESEX) MA
I need to add the power levels on the repeaters - see notebook or sme2
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Radio Test - 0800 every morning in the 1970s on 33.86 - 1999 - ?0800 or ?1000 Monday morning
Typical Radio Traffic - beeeeeep - "Striking Box 47 for a fire in the building at 47 Bow Street, striking box 47 for a fire in the building 47 Bow Street" - box is beeped out for 2 rounds - "Box 47 has been transmitted for a fire in the building at 47 Bow Street, Box 47 has been transmitted for a fire in the building at 47 Bow Street, all companies responding to box 47 switch to Channel 2, 1710" - "C2 to Fire Alarm" - "Fire Alarm answering C2" - "C2 is responding to box 47 struck for 47 Bow Street" - "OK C2 you are responding, 1711" (?Channel 2) - "Ladder 2 to Fire Alarm" - "Fire Alarm answering Ladder 2" - "Ladder 2 is at 47 Bow Street with nothing showing" - "OK Ladder 2 you are at 47 Bow Street with nothing showing, 1716" (Channel 2) - written up 1/03
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High Hazard Locations
Somerville Hospital, Red Line Subway Station at Davis Square, several highrise apartment buildings up to 15 stories, railroad yard and industrial buildings at Charlestown border
Many dwelling units in Somerville are 2 family wooden 2.5 story buildings constructed 75 to 100 years ago. (1/03)
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Company Staffing
minimum of 3 people per rig (per 7/99 Firehouse Mag)
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Fireground Procedures
Large Diameter Hose (LDH) used (?4 inch with ?Storz couplings) - city has hydrants in all areas - ?hydrant assist valves are used (4/29/99) - first Engine and first Ladder go to front of building - ?2nd due Engine runs LDH feeder from hydrant to first due engine
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4/29/99 - Update - L3 is now running from the Teele Square Station again - they had been running from the Highland Ave Station for about ?10 years - for at least 20 years before that they were in Teele Square - maybe it was prompted by Twr 1 moving from Sta 3 to ?Sta 4 due to repair work at Sta 3
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Somerville FD Unofficial Website with Lots of Photos and Box Locations - 6/99
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Info from the 1988 Annual City Report
Mayors Report - A new radio and communications system has been completed for the police and fire departments. "This state-of-the-art system will be one of the most modern in the state and will make the Somerville Fire and Police Departments the envy of public safety systems throughout the Commonwealth."
"And, through the hard work of state and local officials, especially State Senator Sal Albano, we will be the first community in Massachusetts to receive a hazardous materials vehicle funded by the State. Given our experience with the chemical spill in 1980 [of potassium ?trichloride from a railroad tanker car in the railroad yard] and the most recent gasoline spill on Beacon Street, this vehicle is most welcome. Thank you Senator."
"To insure that we continue to provide the highest quality public safety, we put potential fire and police employees through one of the most stringent hiring processes in the State. Those who pass the rigorous physical, psychological, and written test, have yet one more step to take. They must be trained. I am pleased to announce that in my attempt to increase the strength of both the police and fire departments, 13 new firefighters have begun training at our new fire academy and soon we will appoint an additional 7 new police officers."
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1988 saw 13 deaths due to violent or accidental causes in Somerville per the City Dept of Health records.
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Statement of Appropriations and Expenditures - June 30, 1988
Total Appropriation - Total Expenditures - Encumbered Balances - Unencumbered Balances
Fire - P.S. (Personnel Salaries?) - $5,927,792 - $5,833,526 - $720 - $93,546
Fire - O.M. (Operations + Maintenance?) - $194,684 - $126,631 - $30,735 - $37,318
Fire - CAP. (Capital Costs) - $99,972 - $77,855 - $7,767 - $14,350
Police - Total Approps - PS - $5,662,252 - OM - $287,457 - CAP - $$169,490
Emergency Management - Total Approps - PS - $20,489 - OM - $20,101 - CAP - $1,731
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Info from the 1989 Annual City Report
FD Incident Report -
Motor Vehicle Accidents - 279
Assist Police or Civilian - 24
Automoblie and Vehicle Fires - 153
Bomb Scares - 18
Clothes Dryer Problems - 16
Electrical Wires Down - 18
Dumpsters - 58
Electrical Problems - 131
Alarms - Total - 2,665
Alarms - Accidental - 366
Alarms - False Box Alarms - 987
Alarms - False Telephone Calls - 82
Alarms - Faulty Alarm Systems - 1,014
Alarms - Needless - 216
Fires - Residential - 73
Fires - Other Buildings - Including Apartment Buildings - 54
Gas and Oil Leaks - 69
Food on Stove - 366
Furnace Problems - 82
Lock Outs [people locked out of homes etc] - 151
Medical Calls - 1,218
Miscellaneous - 171
Outside Fires (grass, weeds, etc) - 283
Smoke Investigations - 182
Washdowns (of fluids on roadway) - 143
Water Problems (leaks in buildings) - 289
Mutual Aid Responses - Total - 195 (14 to Arlington - 48 to Boston - 86 to Cambridge - 2 to Chelsea - 28 to Everett - 17 to Medford
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Davis Square had a major fire on 20 October 1971 - there was another one on a freezing cold day in ?January ?1996
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1/03 - also see www.yahoogroups.com/group/sme2 for more info - and the massfire at yahoogroups.com - and www.massmetrofire.org - and the city probably has a FD website by now
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Written - April 28, 1999 by Peter Szerlag
Last Updated - 5/13/99 - 6/6/99 - 8 June 00 (1988 +1989 Annual Report Info) - 16 Sept 00 (1971 fire date) - 15 Oct 00 (new radio license) - 1/03 misc info
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