Area units on scene with AFD Super Bowl Sunday morning
South Hadley E4 providing station coverage at Central Station this morning
As is the case with any major structure fire AFD required a little help from their friends, specifically: Northampton Fire Department, Pelham Fire Department, Hadley Fire Department, South Hadley District 2 Fire Department, Belchertown Ambulance, and South County Ambulance.
Fortunately this morning the smoke detectors did their job and all three residents home at the time made it to safety, although the structure's top floor sustained heavy damage and those below probably a fair amount of water damage.
But what if this awful event had occurred a week -- minus a few hours -- earlier? AFD was so overwhelmed last weekend by medical calls (mostly alcohol related at UMass) that NINE mutual aid ambulances from surrounding departments were required to cover the calamity!
Since AFD is in ready mode for the Super Bowl we had 10 on duty and thus were able to muster a decent initial response, which can make a life or death difference.
Either way area departments would have responded because the emergency response system state-wide for fire/EMS is always spread ultra thin.
And when the Beast comes calling it takes a combined effort of on-duty personnel area wide and our off-duty firefighters to meet the challenge.
This time, we won.
3 comments:
We are fortunate as to the timing. Tip of the Hat to our firefighters and the mutual aid responders for a great response. Also thanks to the Red Cross, Amherst PD and Public Works for their responses.
Luckily it was only the building (and most likely a few memories destroyed). They, unlike human life, can be rebuilt.
Stop playing the would if game. It is what it is,life for most will go on,even if there is bad timing. No one but you cares. BTW, where were you this morning,Sparky?
Local Red Cross workers and volunteers keep things running while the "charity" spends donated funds to party with the president at Mar-A-Lago.
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