Between Aug. 5 and 18, the Harvard Fire Department responded to four automatic alarms, three multivehicle accidents, two requests for help with smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, one search and rescue, and one request for help entering a locked home. Chief Rick Sicard conducted five smoke/CO alarm inspections.
Sunday, Aug. 6
At 10 a.m. six firefighters helped a resident get into a Littleton Road home after the resident was accidentally locked out. At 2 p.m. the department received a call for a missing person in the woods off Sherry Road. Five firefighters were organizing a search and rescue when the hiker returned home.
Monday, Aug. 7
A Tahanto Trail homeowner called at 4:20 p.m. about a smoke/carbon monoxide detector that would not stop chirping. The four firefighters responded and found that the detector was more than 10 years old and had expired. The firefighters advised the homeowner to replace all the expired detectors in the home.
Tuesday, Aug. 8
Seven firefighters responded to an automatic fire alarm at a Mill Road residence at 8:19 p.m. When the firefighters arrived at the home, the homeowners explained that the alarm had gone off while they were cooking dinner, that the system was already reset, and the home aired out. No further assistance was needed.
Thursday, Aug. 10
A single-car crash was reported at 12:25 p.m. on Route 2 westbound between Ayer Road and Jackson Road. Five firefighters responded; they secured the scene and assisted Lancaster EMS with patient care.
Monday, Aug. 14
The department was called to assist the ambulance crew at a motor vehicle accident on Route 2 eastbound east of Ayer Road at 3:20 p.m. Six firefighters responded; the call was canceled while the crew was en route.
Wednesday, Aug. 16
At 7:39 a.m. seven firefighters responded to a three-car collision on Route 2 eastbound under the Ayer Road bridge. The firefighters contained two small fluid leaks with absorbent. The Harvard ambulance took one adult and one baby to Emerson Hospital; the occupants of the other two vehicles refused medical transport. Two cars were towed. The crew was back at the station at 8:45 a.m. The Wednesday night training had three parts: 1) touring Foxglove Apartments to review the building’s alarm system and water supply as part of pre-incident planning; 2) a simulated dumpster fire behind Hildreth Elementary School, and 3) planning a search and rescue at the Still River Fire Station. The firefighters were divided into three groups and rotated among the locations.
Thursday, Aug. 17
An automatic gas detector alarm called the department to a Slough Road residence. Chief Sicard was first on scene and found that the alarm had been triggered accidentally and had already been reset by the owner. No further assistance was required.
Friday, Aug. 18
At 11:25 a.m. an automatic fire alarm called six firefighters to a Whitney Road home. There was no fire; the alarm had gone off by accident. Another accidental alarm at 8:20 p.m. sent five firefighters to the Bromfield School, where they discovered that the automatic alarm had been triggered by the cleaning crew. At 9:24 p.m. a West Bare Hill resident called to request help with a problematic smoke detector. The responding officer could not identify the problem and recommended that the homeowner call an electrician.
FIRE DEPARTMENT FACTOID
Residents’ houses should be clearly numbered, with the numbers visible from the road in both directions, so that emergency responders can easily find a home. “Help us help you,” says Chief Sicard. Numbers should be at least 3 inches high and should contrast with the background. In winter months, remember to brush off any snow that covers the house numbers.
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.
