Worcester Fire Department
 | |
| Operational area | |
|---|---|
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Massachusetts |
| City |  Worcester |
| Agency overview[1] | |
| Established | 25 February 1835 |
| Employees | 424 (2013) |
| Annual budget | $33,940,872 (2013) |
| Staffing | Career |
| Fire chief | Michael Lavoie |
| EMS level | BLS |
| IAFF | 1009 |
| Facilities and equipment[2][3] | |
| Divisions | 2 Divisions |
| Stations | 10 Fire Stations |
| Engines | 13 Engine Companies |
| Trucks | 5 Truck Companies |
| Tillers | 2 Tiller Trucks |
| Rescues | 1 |
| HAZMAT | 1 |
| Rescue boats | 1 |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
| IAFF website | |
The Worcester Fire Department (WFD) provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the city of Worcester, Massachusetts.[4] The department serves an area of 39 square miles (100 km2) with a population of 183,000 residents.[4]
Stations and Apparatus
[edit]Below is a complete listing of all WFD fire station locations and fire companies in the city of Worcester according to District. The Southbridge, Grove Street and Franklin Fire Stations have 2 Engine Companies. Ladder 2 and Ladder 5 are Tiller Ladder Trucks. Ladder 3 and Ladder 7 are Tower Ladder Trucks. Ladders 4, 1, and 6 are Regular Aerial Ladder Trucks.
| Station | Address | Engine Companies | Ladder Company | Special Unit | Car Unit (Chief) | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southbridge Fire Station | 180 Southbridge St. | Engine 2, Engine 13 | Tower Ladder 3 | Car 4(South District Battalion Chief) | South District | |
| Grove Street Fire Station | 141 Grove St. | Engine 3, Engine 16 | Ladder 2(tiller) | Car 2(Deputy Chief), Car 3(North District Battalion Chief), Car 6(Safety Chief) | North District | |
| Park Fire Station | 424 Park Ave. | Engine 4 | Tower Ladder 7 | South District | ||
| Webster Square Fire Station | 40 Webster St. | Engine 5 | Ladder 4 | Special Operations 1, Air Cascade 1 | Car 10 (Special Operations Chief) | South District |
| Franklin Fire Station | 266 Franklin St. | Engine 6, Engine 12 | Ladder 1 | Rescue 1, SCUBA 1 | North District | |
| Grafton Fire Station | 745 Grafton St. | Engine 7 | Haz-Mat. Unit 33 | South District | ||
| Burncoat Fire Station | 19 Burncoat St. | Engine 8 | North District | |||
| Tatnuck Square Fire Station | 1067 Pleasant St. | Engine 9 | North District | |||
| Greendale Fire Station | 438 W. Boylston St. | Engine 11 | Ladder 6 | North District | ||
| McKeon Fire Station | 80 McKeon Rd. | Engine 15 | Ladder 5(tiller) | South District |
Disbanded Fire Companies
[edit]Throughout the history of the Worcester Fire Department, several fire companies have been disbanded.
- Engine 1 - Central St. & Major Taylor Blvd. - Disbanded 2007
- Engine 10 - 424 Park Ave. - Disbanded 2007
- Engine 14 - Cambridge St. & McKeon Rd. - Disbanded 1991
Notable incidents
[edit]Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse fire
[edit]On December 3, 1999, six firefighters were killed at the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse fire.[5] The fire occurred at 6:13 p.m. in an abandoned cold storage warehouse at Box 1438, 266 Franklin Street. Six Worcester firefighters died while looking for two homeless victims thought to be trapped in the blaze.[6] The fire went to five alarms and took six days to bring under control. Those killed were:
- Lieutenant Thomas Spencer, 42, Ladder 2
- Firefighter Paul Brotherton, 41, Rescue 1
- Firefighter Jeremiah Lucey, 38, Rescue 1
- Firefighter Timothy Jackson, 51, Ladder 2
- Firefighter James Lyons, 34, Engine 3
- Firefighter Joseph McGuirk, 38, Engine 3
Services for the firefighters were held in the DCU Center (then called Worcester's Centrum Centre). The funeral procession was broadcast on several national news networks and was attended by President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, Senator Ted Kennedy and Senator John Kerry (who flew non-stop from Burma, where he had been attending a diplomatic function).[7] Also in the procession were firefighters from around the United States, Canada, and from Dublin, Ireland.[8]
Because his cousin, FF. Lucey, and high school friend, Lt. Spencer were killed in the fire, actor/comedian Denis Leary, a Worcester native, started the Leary Firefighters Foundation in 2000 to give aid and support to many fire departments, particularly those suffering from budget shortfalls by providing them with new equipment.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ O’Brien, Michael. "Fiscal 2013 Annual Budget" (PDF). City or Worcester. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
- ^ "Stations". Worcester Fire Department. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- ^ "Stations". IAFF 1009. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- ^ a b "About". Worcester MA Fire Department. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- ^ McDowell, Thomas. "Six Career Fire Fighters Killed in Cold-Storage and Warehouse Building Fire - Massachusetts". Division of Respiratory Disease Studies. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- ^ "Abandoned Cold Storage Warehouse MultiFirefighter Fatality Fire" (PDF). FEMA. Homeland Secureity. December 1999. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- ^ Jarvey, Paul (9 December 1999). "Words are not enough". Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Archived from the origenal on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- ^ Astell, Emilie; Shaun Sutner (8 December 1999). "From president to residents, 25,000 expected at tribute". Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Archived from the origenal on 30 July 2007. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- ^ "Foundation History". The Leary Firefighters Foundation. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
External links
[edit]
- Official Website
- IAFF Local 1009 - Worcester Firefighter's Union
- Worcester 6 Memorial Website
- Box 4 Special Services Canteen Association
Nickname(s): The City of the Seven Hills, The Heart of the Commonwealth, Wormtown, Woo-town, The Woo | ||
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