Town of Belmont - 4.6 square miles - 27,000 population
Belmont - 3 stations
Sta 1 - E1 - Cushing Square
Sta 2 - E2 R1 (L1) - Center
Sta 3 - L1 (E3) - Harvard Lawn
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The lineup in the 1970s and 1980s was Sta 1 / E1 - Sta 2 / E2 L1 R1 - Sta 3 / E3
When they cut back one Engine company - the lineup became - Sta 1 / E1 - Sta 2 / E2 R1 - Sta 3 / L1 (L1 is not a quint)
This info added 04 Feb 2003
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Response Levels
Building Fire - 2E + 1L + 1R
Alarm System in a house - 1E + 1L
Ambulance call - 1E + 1R + NSP4 from Sancta Maria
MacClean Hospital alarm system - E1
MacClean Hospital Building Fire - 2E + 1L + 1R + ?1 Waltham L
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Radio Test
Mobiles - Engines 1,2,3 - Ladder 1 - Rescue 1
Portables - Portable Engines 1,2,3 - Portable Ladder 1 - Portable Rescue 1
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Info from the sme2 list - Dec 2002
Belmont Fire Department Radio's: C1 Chief C2 Assistant Chief C3 Shift Commander C4 Fire Prevention C5 Training Division E1 Engine 1 E100 Engine 1 LT. E2 Engine 2 E200 Engine 2 LT. L1 Ladder 1 L100 Ladder 1 LT. L101 Ladder 1 Driver R1 Rescue 1 R100 Rescue 1 Driver R101 Rescue 1 Tech
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Staffing
Maximum number of units staffed - E1,2,3 L1 R1
Minimum number of units staffed- E1, E2, L1, R1 - (L1 moves to Sta 3 and E3 goes out of service)
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Dispatch Operations
2 police/fire dispatchers are on duty in the communications center in the police station at all times. The seperate police and fire dispatch centers were amalgamated in 1998 (with the advent of advanced 911 service with ANI and ALI). NSP Paramedic units responding with Belmont fire units utilize the Belmont FD radio system. No boxes are beeped on the radio system and no paging is done via the FD radio channels. All calls are dispatched to the stations via phonelines or the telegraphic bell system. All calls are announced on Channel 1 - 154.13. Channel 2 - 153.77 - is rarely used.
2002 - 482.775R went into service as the primary fire radio channel. There is one repeater on the hill on Concord Ave. 4 or 5 receiver sites feed the repeater. (See sme2 for more details)
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Ambulance Calls
Backup BLS ambulances respond from Watertown Fire, Armstrong Ambulance Company, or Arlington Fire. Paramedic service is provided by NSP4 from the Sancta Maria Hospital/Clinic and by NSP3 from Arlington. Most patients are transported to Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge. Patient info on BLS calls is relayed from R1 to the fire dispatcher on 154.13 - the fire dispatcher phones the info to the hospital. Critical trauma patients are taken to Mass General Hospital, Beth Israel Hospital, or Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston.
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High Hazard Locations
McClean Hospital (a private psychiatric facility)
New L1 - due July 1999 - rear mount 110' - meets Boston specifications (?heavy duty ladder)
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For John G's July 2000 Photo Profile of the Belmont FD, please go to The John G Archives
For more info, please go to the Belmont Fire Dept Web Site
Also see - Town Website - for a little fire info.
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New Radio License - July 2000 pending - 453.2375R (1Sept00)
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Radio System -
Channel 1 - Primary - 154.13
Channel 2 - Secondary - 153.77 (rarely used)
Channel 3 - ?154.22 - Mutual Aid
Channel 4 - ??? - 154.265
Channel 5 - EMA - 158.88R (in C2 radio 29Sept00)
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2002 - 482.775R is now the primary radio channel.
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2002 - Efforts are under way to improve all three fire stations. The general plan is to build a new smaller fire station in Belmont Center near Filenes, and to build a larger HQ on trapelo Road near the old VW dealership.
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Updated - 8/3/99 - 14July00 - 1Sept00 - 30Sept00 (Radio freqs) - 24Dec02