By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD – The Wakefield Fire Department came in for some well-earned kudos last night for its performance on a variety of fronts over the course of the long, hot, dry summer of 2022.
The Town Council praised Fire Chief Michael Sullivan and Deputy Fire Chief Thomas Purcell along with the entire department for their work, not only battling the Breakheart Reservation fires but several serious structural fires in addition to the everyday routine calls.
Sullivan and Purcell both appeared in-person at last night’s Town Council meeting at the WCAT Studio.
Sullivan said that the current drought coupled with the hot and humid summer made every incident to which the Fire Department responded much more challenging. He said that the fire in Breakheart was the largest in the reservation in his entire tenure on the Wakefield Fire Department. He said that he could remember past fires in the reservation that burned multiple acres, but nothing even close to what occurred this summer.
The Fire Chief noted that most of Breakheart is in Saugus and said that “Saugus deserves a ton of credit” for battling the fires. But he stressed that Wakefield supplied most of the mutual aid to assist Saugus.
Purcell acknowledged that the hot weather impacted the department but added that Wakefield firefighters did a fantastic job in assisting Saugus. He pointed out that “Mutual aid works both ways,” acknowledging that Saugus has been there to help Wakefield when needed.
Town Councilor Edward Dombroski said that he was proud to see Wakefield Fire trucks on the scene helping Saugus battle the fires in Breakheart. He added that in speaking to firefighters from Saugus and other agencies, they also expressed their appreciation for Wakefield’s part in battling the fires.
Sullivan noted that dozens of communities pitched in to help with the Breakheart effort adding that it was fortunate that no one was hurt battling the fires. He also acknowledged the critical role that the National Guard played by using Blackhawk helicopters to dump thousands of gallons of water on the fire. He noted that there remains a potential danger of trees falling over in the reservation as the underground fire destroyed the root systems of many trees.
Town Councilor Julie Smith-Galvin asked if any special rules were now in effect with respect to outside burning due to the dry conditions.
Sullivan said that there have been added restrictions on open flames within parks and reservations like Breakheart. He stressed that the outside burning season in Wakefield runs only from Jan. 15 to May 1, and requires a permit. In any case, he encouraged use of the Nahant Street Yard Waste Facility as a better option than burning.
Sullivan and Purcell also talked about the Fire Department’s response to two major structure fires in August – one at a home on Eastern Avenue on Aug. 5 and another on Jackson Lane on Aug. 30. Purcell and Sullivan stressed the key roll that the Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department plays in shutting off gas and electricity during a structural fire.
Town Councilor Robert Vincent noted the hundreds of calls – including medical aid – that the Fire Department responds to every month, averaging about 12 calls a day.
There was some discussion of assuring adequate funding for the Fire Department given the amount of development locally and population growth in the town.
Sullivan said that the town definitely needs to keep an eye on the number of fire calls and budget accordingly to assure the department’s continued ability to respond adequately. Purcell added that there are national standards that can be used to determine the adequacy of a Fire Department’s funding.
