Lawrence MA: 3rd multiple alarm fire of day

M

Massfireman

Joined
Dec 8, 2012
Messages
277
20:09; Box 7111: Beacon and Andover Streets, for 12 Diamond Street

Engine 9,5 Ladder 4, Rescue 1 car 21 (DC)

Engine 9 reports ,Heavy smoke on arrival , Multi Occupancy Building. 150 X 50
Ladder 4 to roof.

20:17; 2nd alarm :

Engine 6,7, ladder 5

Engine 7 to feed engine 9 upon arrival

8:39; Additional engine to scene Andover (RIT)

Multiple lines run and in operation, PPV started at front of building.
PD to scene occupants attempting to re enter the building

car 55, FIU to scene.

Station coverage, Lowell Ladder, Dracut Engine, North Andover ENgine

19:57: releasing companies
 
Was 2d multiple for same building earlier 2nd alarm was in?  (same box, same street, same units) 

Also, the other multiple, Box 6111 - responding units were all covering companies from well outside the city.  Were they even in Lawrence when the working fire was reported they had to respond to?  The Lowell truck had to relocate from 20 miles away - and respond as the first due (and only available) ladder company for a working structure fire. 

Lowell and Lawrence, as well as many other relatively large cities, are gambling that multiples do not occur simultaneously like these did.  They have cut fire companies and do not have the capacity to fight 2 multiples at the same time.  They are fortunate that loss of life has not occurred or been blamed due to unavailability of fire companies to respond.  They are lucky that a major conflagration has not happened because a relatively minor fire got out of control because there were no resources to contain it.  Or firefighters are injured or lost because there was no truck, or rescue company available.

 
 
 
All three fires occurred in the South side of the City, currently covered by one house with an engine and ladder company. They were all in different structures. Boxes in Lawrence on the call are designated by district, 7111 is South Lawrence West, 6111 South Lawrence East. If a master box is received and transmitted then the actual box number is struck, as well as what remains for street boxes.

All mutual aid companies were in quarters, the Ladder from Lowell had just arrived when the second multi alarm fire was called in.

The current bright spot at least for now brown outs have ceased.
 
mack:
"They are lucky that a major conflagration has not happened because a relatively minor fire got out of control because there were no resources to contain it.  Or firefighters are injured or lost because there was no truck, or rescue company available."

Funny Thing about 'Luck'  It has a nasty habit of Running-Out every Now & Again.  :mad:
 
To put this City of Lawrence, Mass (population 77,000) fire activity in perspective, since July 1st, according to this web site and a Connecticut Fire web site, Lawrence, Mass has had more fire activity than Connecticuts largest, most active cities of ; Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford, Waterbury, Norwalk, Danbury and Meriden....."PUT TOGETHER".

  Plus a train derailment and two HazMat incidents.
 
To complicate matters their apparatus is aging with no schedule replacement.

Engine 1 (reserve) 1994 E-One
Engine 2 (Reserve) 1997 E-One
Engine 5 (Central Station) 2005 E-One
Engine 6 (Prospect Hill) 1999 E-One
Engine 7 (Park Street) 2002 E-One (X Engine 8)
Engine 8 Closed, being leased to EMS
Engine 9 (South Broadway) 2001 E-One (relocated from Bailey Street) Bailey Street Station being Leased out
Ladder 1 (Reserve) Now being run permanently as Ladder 5 = 1996 Quint, E-one
Ladder 4 South Broadway 2013 110 E One aerial (fire act grant)
Ladder 5 OOS Snorkel 1992 E One
Rescue 1 Central 2005 E-one

Running minimum shift staffing of 24
 
Lawrence represents many cities which have significantly decreased their sizes of their fire departments.  Only 24 FF on duty, 4 E, 2 trucks and a rescue to cover the whole city.  First alarm assignments get 2 engines, 2 ladders,  the rescue and a chief.  3 or 4 FFs per unit.  No initial RIT. Old apparatus.  2nd alarm brings the rest of the city's units - 2 engines, 1 truck.  They have to rely on surrounding towns for help.  Extra alarm and relocation ladder from city of Lowell is 20 miles away.  And Lowell is a large city with many old mills, schools, warehouses and closely built wood-frame tripledeckers.  There has to be long term consequences for providing such limited fire protection - increased fire losses, injuries, FF lost time etc. 
 
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