Winchester - a town - 5.9 square miles - 20,000 pop
Dial 911 to report emergencies in Winchester and all of Massachusetts, RI, CN, VT, and NH.
Winchester FD - 2 stations - 483.6875R
Sta 1 - Center - E1 L1 A5
Sta 2 - West - E?3
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Response Levels
Alarm System in a House - 2E + 1L + A5 - box transmitted
Building Fire - 2E + 1L + A5 - box transmitted
Ambulance Call - Basic - 1E + A5
Ambulance Call - Serious - 1E + A5 + NSP3/NSP1
2nd Alarm - 2E + 1L + 1E to HQ + 1L to HQ
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Daily Radio Test - 0900
Mobiles - Eng 1,2,3 - Ldr 1 - A6 - S7 - S8 - S9 - Eng 6 - LP1
Portables - Eng 1,3 - Ldr 1 - A6
Radio Callsigns
C1 = Captain of 1rst Platoon (rides in Engine 1)
C2 = Captain of 2nd Platoon
C3 = Captain of 3rd Platoon
C4 = Captain of 4th Platoon
S1 - S7 - S8 - S9 - ??????
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The real list of radio IDs - December 1999
Fire Alarm Westside station ENG.1 ENG.2 ENG.3 LADDER 1 A-5 (AMBULANCE) A-6 (AMBULANCE BACK-UP) C-1 (CHIEF OF DEPARTMENT) K-7 (FIRE PREVENTION EXPLORER NEW 12/7/99) S-6 (FIRE ALARM TRUCK) S-7 (PICK -UP TRUCK) S-8 (RADIOMAN/FIRE ALARM SUPT) S-9 (MECHANIC) S-10 (ASSISTANT FIRE ALARM LINEMAN) C-2 (SHIFT COMMANDER) C-201 CAPT. GROUP #1 C-202 CAPT. GR #2 C-203 CAPT. GR #3 C-204 CAPT. GR #4 C-300 FIRE PREVENTION OFFICER (LIEUT) C-301 ASSIST FIRE PREVENTION (LIEUT)
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FD Total Staffing - 1999 - 1 Chief + 5 Captains + 7 Lieutenants + 32 Firefighter/EMTs
Divided into 4 platoons for a 40 hour work week, there should be a maximum of 11 people on duty (based on the total FD manning).
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Dispatch Operations
One police/fire dispatcher is on duty at the dispatch center in the police station adjacent to FD HQ. The primary method of alerting both stations is via phonelines from the dispatch office to the loudspeakers and telephones in the 2 fire stations.
The FD HQ airhorn telegraphs out all 2nd alarms. All boxes are beeped over the radio system. Paging is used to alert call firefighters and offduty firefighters when they are needed. At 0730 daily, two blasts are sent from the Central Fire Station air horn as a test signal. (Update - the air horn tests have been discontinued as of Sept 2000)
A type 2 telegraphic box alarm system is used and telegraph fire boxes are found mounted to telephone poles throughout the town.
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Radio System -
WII700 - 8/93FCC - 8/93first used - Winchester Hospital - 483.6875R - FB2 - 445ERP/150W - 8/93first used - Shaker Hill - 25 Washington St in Woburn - FB2 21ERP/60W (?backup site) - mobiles 110/78
Radio Gear Info - December 1999
Channel 1 - Primary - 483.6875R
Channel 2 - Primary Direct - 483.6875
Channel 3 - Secure Direct (secret frequency) - ?486.3375
Channel 4 - Winchester Police - 471.3625R
Channel 5 - Woburn Fire - 483.6125R
Channel 6 - Metrofire Fireground - 483.3125R
Mobile radios are MT-1000 with 8 channels
Captains have HT-1000 16 channel portable radios
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High Hazard Locations - Winchester Hospital, Highrise Apartment Building on Swanton Street
Sept 2000 - ?Abijonna Nursing Home - box activations receives Winchester E1 E3 L1 A5 + Woburn L1 - ?new response plan?
Sept 2000 - ?The Commons - Apartment Building Complex on Cambridge St at Woburn municipal border - activation of the fire box gets Woburn E5 + Winchester units
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Ambulance Operations
A5 and 1 engine are backed up by North Suburban Paramedic 3 out of Arlington, NSP6 out of Woburn (rarely), or NSP1 out of Burlington. Backup BLS ambulances usually come from Woburn FD, or sometimes - Arlington FD.
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Water Supply - all areas have hydrants - a small river runs thru downtown - several large ponds are located around town
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FD Website With Names of All Staff, and Photos of Rigs - 1999
John Galla's Profile of WFD - 1999
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September 2000 Update
ROSTER: ENGINE 1 2000 E-ONE 1500/500? ENGINE 100 E-1 PORT ENGINE 2 (EX E-3)1987 MACK CF/E-ONE 1500/500 @ WEST SIDE STATION (SPARE) ENGINE 200 E-2 PORT ENGINE 3 (EX E-1)1993 E-ONE1500/500 ENGINE 300 E-3 PORT ENGINE 6 1989 FORD F350/E-ONE BRUSH @ WEST SIDE STATION (AUXILIARY) LADDER 1 1994 E-ONE 110'RM LADDER 100 L-1 PORT A5 1993 FORD E350 AMBULANCE A500 A5 PORT 1 A501 A5 PORT 2 A6 1986 FORD E350 AMBULANCE (SPARE) C1 CHIEF C100 OLD CAPTAIN PORT C2 OIC C200 OLD CAPTAIN PORT/2ND OIC C201 3RD OIC C202 4TH OIC C203 5TH OIC C204 6TH OIC C3 FPO [fire prevention officer] C300 OLD CAPTIAN PORT C301 ASST FPO C400 OLD CAPTIAN PORT C500 OLD CAPTIAN PORT S6 FIRE ALARM TRUCK (89 CHEVY) S7 PICKUP (98 FORD F350 4WD) S8 RADIO MAINTAINER / SUPT OF FA S9 MASTER MECHANIC S10 FIRE ALARM LINEMAN S13 SPARE PORT K7 EXPLORER (99) K700 K7 PORT LIGHTING 1 1974 FORD F350/KIELY LP @ WEST SIDE STATION (AUXILIARY)C100,200,300,400 AND 500 WERE THE OLD CAPTIAN NUMBERS. CHIEF NASH HAS ISSUED ORDERS CREATING A TUMBLE DOWN OIC SYSTEM WITH C2 BEING THE HIGHEST RANKING OFFICER ON-DUTY AND 200, 201 ETC BEING THE NEXT IN LINE. THOUGH ENDLESS, C204 IS THE HIGHEST I HAVE YET TO HEAR. HE ALSO ELIMINATED THE 0730/1930 "SEVEN THIRTY WHITLE" TO THE DISMAY OF MANY (DUE TO NEIGHBORS COMPLAINING).
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Last Updated - 4/24/99 - 7/15/99 - 7/30/99 - 12/18/99 - 25Apr00 - 1Sept00