Between May 13 and May 26, the Harvard Fire Department responded to a hydraulic fluid spill at the Bromfield School, three automatic alarms (at Hildreth Elementary School, Bowers Brook Apartments, and a residence), a lightning strike, two car accidents, three alarms triggered by burned food, and one call for an officer investigation. The department also provided overnight coverage at Bromfield during Celebration. Chief Rick Sicard completed 12 smoke/CO detector inspections, one dumpster inspection, and one safety inspection to check that Camp Green Eyrie was ready for the season (all fire/smoke/CO alarms, all kitchen fire-safety systems, and all fire extinguishers).
Sunday, May 14
The Fire Department responded to a single-car accident just after midnight on Route 2 westbound between Taylor Road in Boxborough and Route 111. Three firefighters responded on Engine 2; a fourth firefighter remained at the station. Littleton EMS took the vehicle’s occupant to the hospital; the car was towed. The firefighters were back at the station at 1:20 a.m. Just after noon an alarm came in from the café at Fruitlands Museum on Prospect Hill Road. Deputy Chief Charlie Nigzus went directly to the museum; nine firefighters assembled at the station. The deputy chief confirmed it was an accidental alarm in the kitchen area and that no further assistance was required.
Monday, May 15
At 6:55 a.m. the Fire Department received an automatic-alarm call from a house on Old Littleton Road. Six firefighters responded on Engine 2; five firefighters covered the station. The firefighters confirmed with the homeowner that burned food had triggered the alarm; no assistance was needed and the firefighters returned to the station.
Tuesday, May 16
An automatic alarm called the department to Oak Hill Road at 7:15 p.m. Five firefighters responded and confirmed that burned food had triggered the alarm. The firefighters were holding muster practice at the time of the call and returned to their practice at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 17
At the Wednesday night training, the firefighters had a demonstration of a new product, an additive that is put into the stored-water fire extinguishers (also known as water cans) to suppress fires quickly. The department also practiced handling its self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) when moving through a confined space (slipping off the SCBA and putting it back on without removing the face mask).
Thursday, May 18: The Fire Department responded to an automatic alarm at Hildreth Elementary School at 8:15 a.m. Nine firefighters responded on Engine 2, Engine 4, and Tower 1. The firefighters searched the first floor and found that one of the detectors had tripped. They cleaned and reset the detector, which resumed normal function. The firefighters checked the entire building with handheld gas meters but found no abnormal readings. The students arrived while the firefighters were still searching the building; the students were met by their teachers and went directly from the buses to wait on the ballfield. The firefighters were back at the station and the students in their classrooms at 9:30 a.m. At 9:30 a.m. a Prospect Hill Road resident requested help with a carbon monoxide detector. An officer checked the home with a handheld gas meter, found no abnormal readings, and reset the alarm. At 11:22 p.m. the department received a call of a lightning strike at a Finn Road home. One officer responded directly to the home while 10 firefighters assembled at the station. The officer found that the lightning had caused a power surge that blew the home’s exterior lights as well as lights at other area homes. The lightning had snapped a pine tree near the house. The officer checked the entire house, found no abnormal readings or other issues, and advised the homeowner to call National Grid. No further assistance was required.
Friday, May 19
An automatic alarm came in from Bowers Brook Apartments at 11 a.m. Three firefighters responded on Engine 2 to the Ayer Road building while one firefighter covered the station. The firefighters discovered that the alarm was triggered by an air-conditioning unit on the roof; they reset the unit and the alarm turned off. The firefighters instructed the building manager to have the unit serviced. The crew was back at the station just after noon. Chief Sicard inspected the decorations for Celebration (Bromfield’s after-prom party) to ensure that they did not block access to building safety systems. Two firefighters were stationed at the high school overnight to support the Celebration team as they do every year.
Saturday, May 20
An automatic alarm at 2:30 p.m. called the Fire Department to a Stow Road home. Seven firefighters on Engine 1 and Tower 1 responded. They checked the house with handheld gas meters and found all normal readings. The firefighters reset the alarm and were back at the station by 3 p.m.
Monday, May 22
Monday was a long day for the Fire Department. Just before 2 a.m., the department was called to a single-car accident on Poor Farm Road. Nine firefighters responded on Engine 1 and Engine 4. They discovered that the car had snapped a utility pole and that lines were down. The driver, who got out of the vehicle unassisted, was transported to Nashoba Valley Medical Center by the Harvard ambulance crew. The Fire Department closed a section of Poor Farm Road, parking each engine one and a half poles away from the accident site, and monitored the scene while waiting for National Grid to arrive to turn off the power. Once the power was off, the car was towed. The firefighters cleaned up the accident debris. Verizon arrived shortly after 5 a.m. to replace the pole, and the firefighters returned to the station at 5:20 a.m. At 6:41 a.m. the Fire Department was called to help with the hydraulic fluid leak at the Bromfield School and on Ayer Road (see “Hydraulic fluid leak causes Monday morning mess” in the May 26 Press.) In addition to following the fluid trail to Shirley, the four firefighters also positioned a fire engine on Ayer Road at Hillside Garage to help slow traffic during school drop-off hours, brought the hazmat trailer to Bromfield with the spill-containment supplies, used booms to wrap the storm drains from the back of Bromfield to Mass. Ave., used absorbent pads to collect the hydraulic fluid where it pooled, and set out “caution” tape and cones to direct traffic flow. The firefighters returned to the station at 4 p.m.
Wednesday, May 24
Firefighters held muster practice.
FIRE DEPARTMENT FACTOID
The Harvard Fire Department will participate in the 91st annual Wachusett Muster League on June 18 in Sterling. Muster team co-captain Dave Hazel said the team came in second in 2016. The event begins with a parade at noon followed by six races. Eight central Massachusetts towns belong to the Wachusett League: Berlin, Bolton, Boylston, Harvard, Holden, Princeton, Sterling, and West Boylston.
Residents can attend and cheer on the department. The muster will be held in downtown Sterling behind the fire station..
The Fire Department Log is written every other week by a Harvard Press reporter based on information gleaned from daily logs and interviews with a department firefighter.
