Category: GFD

GROVELAND — Interim Fire Chief Richard York is pleased to announce that the Groveland Fire Department’s new Squad 1 vehicle is now in service.

A 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe 4X4, the Squad 1 truck arrived in late December and is a registered Class V ambulance, operating at the Basic Life Support level.

Firefighters will take Squad 1 to all medical calls, motor vehicle crashes and other calls for service, as needed. The truck is equipped with EpiPens, Albuterol, Narcan, glucose, glucometers, an AED, and all other necessary medical equipment.

The new Squad 1 vehicle, which was approved at last year’s Town Meeting, replaces the department’s 1995 Ford F-450.

“This vehicle is more maneuverable and will be invaluable during calls for service because it is able to get into tight areas, which we we are not able to do with our engine, ladder or former Squad 1 vehicle,” Chief York said.

The department’s new Squad 1 is its third registered Class V ambulance, along with Engine 1 and Squad 2.

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GEORGETOWN — Georgetown Chief Fred A. Mitchell Jr., Groveland Interim Fire Chief Richard York and Newbury Fire Chief Douglas Janvrin are pleased to announce that a regional Assistance to Firefighters Grant will allow all three departments to purchase new self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), SCBA masks, air tank cylinders and Pak-Trackers.

The $629,254 regional grant will provide each department with lifesaving devices to replace their aging equipment.

“Obtaining this grant is part of a regional effort between our departments to work closer to increase safety for all three communities,” Chief Mitchell said. “This award enables us to better protect firefighters responding to an incident and the residents we serve every day.”

FEMA awarded a total of 101 SCBAs, 101 SCBA masks and 202 air pack cylinders to the three departments to replace their current equipment. All ladder and engine trucks will now have SCBAs and cylinders for every person on board.

Georgetown Fire Department: 30 SCBAs, 30 SCBA masks and 60 cylinders

Groveland Fire Department: 32 SCBAs, 32 SCBA masks and 62 cylinders

Newbury Fire Department: 39 SCBAs, 39 SCBA masks and 69 cylinders

Georgetown, Groveland and Newbury will also receive one Pak-Tracker each, which syncs to SCBAs’ GPS systems to pinpoint firefighters’ exact locations while inside a building.

“These Pak-Trackers will allow us to quickly locate and respond in the event that a firefighter becomes injured or trapped,” Chief Janvrin said. “We are now better prepared to respond to an emergency situation and save lives.”

In order to receive the grant, Georgetown, Groveland and Newbury committed to paying 10 percent of the total cost of the equipment. The three communities will split the $62,925 cost, with each allocating approximately $20,000.

Recognizing the need for new equipment, the three departments, under the leadership of Chief Mitchell, Chief Janvrin and retired Groveland Chief Robert Lay, worked cooperatively to complete the FEMA grant application. Georgetown Firefighter Taylor Balletto wrote the grant with assistance from Newbury Capt. Rob Serino, which was then submitted in February. The fire departments received notification of the grant award in July.

“We are extremely pleased to have been awarded the Assistance to Firefighters Grant to improve our access to lifesaving equipment,” Chief York said. “We hope to continue this regional partnership for future endeavors and projects that will directly benefit our residents.”

Administered through FEMA, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant works to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and non-affiliated emergency medical service organizations. Since 2001, grant allocations have helped firefighters and other first responders obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources necessary for protecting the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.

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(Left-to-right: Groveland Fire Lieutenant Daniel Briscoe, Firefighter Brian Belfiore, and Interim Fire Chief Kurt Ruchala, at the Steward Health Care “EMS Stewards of the Community” awards night in Quincy on Tuesday, March 22. (Groveland Fire Department/Courtesy Photo)

Firefighter Brian Belfiore was presented with the EMS Stewards of the Community Award from Steward Health Care for his quick thinking in saving the life of a man who suffered a heart attack while shoveling snow during one of last winter’s major storms.

On Jan. 4, during the “bomb cyclone” that occurred during the January 2018 North American blizzard, Firefighter Belfiore was operating a plow truck in the City of Haverhill when he heard on his fire department radio that a man had gone into cardiac arrest only a block away while shoveling snow.

Firefighter Belfiore took immediate action and arrived on scene seconds later, along with Haverhill Fire Chief William Laliberty, who is a neighbor of the victim. Together, and in low-visibility conditions the two trained emergency medical technicians performed CPR on the man until the arrival of a Trinity EMS ambulance. The victim was taken to Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, and he has since made a full recovery.

“Firefighter Belfiore’s actions in January represent the best of our profession. He relied on his training and skills when every moment counted, and he saved a life,” Chief Ruchala said.

Firefighter Belfiore is a 13-year veteran of the Groveland Fire Department. He serves as the department’s EMS Officer and is responsible not only for managing the operations of emergency medical services in Groveland but for also ensuring that other firefighters are properly-trained and that the department’s medical supply inventory is fully-stocked.

The awards were given on Tuesday, May 22 during a ceremony at The Tirrell Room in Quincy. A total of 24 professionals received awards, including Firefighter Belfiore and Chief Laliberty and two Trinity EMS paramedics who responded to the incident, recognizing each as “a leader and EMS Steward of the Community” according to the award inscription.

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