This year Town Meeting members and voters at the Town Elections will be asked to vote on the purchase of a new fire engine for the Sudbury Fire Department.  This is a scheduled replacement of an engine that is over 20 years old and has reached the end of its service life.  Fire engines are used for 15/5 – that is, 15 years of front line followed by 5 years of reserve service.   Maintaining our replacement schedule helps avoid downtime, maintenance costs, and most importantly, service interruptions.

The engine that we will purchase will be “state of the art” as every previous purchase has been.  State of the art is essential to ensure mission adequacy during a fire engine's 20 year service life.  Design details will be determined by a procurement committee similar to what we have done in the past where our needs – present and projected – are considered and addressed.

A tempting question of purchasing used rather than new is perennially raised with the same outcome each time – prudence dictates that the longest service life can be expected from new equipment.  We are replacing used with new because our used is worn out.  Buying used in this scenario, where others abide by the same replacement protocols, is simply not wise.

While it is impossible to say in advance exactly how much a new fire engine will cost, we make an educated estimate based upon our known needs by talking with vendors and projecting what increases will occur between identifying the design details and actually purchasing the engine.  The amount estimated, $405,000, takes into account significant increases in steel prices, new emissions requirements, and other costs that have increased the purchase price by more than 8% in the last year alone.  Yes – this is expensive, but it represents the Town’s commitment to provide appropriate protection for nearly 6,000 structures and 18,200 residents. 

We love to have visitors at the fire station! However we request that if you are bringing a larger group, that you call ahead to schedule an appointment. The firefighters do their best to show children the fire trucks and allow them to sit inside of them. Obviously, an emergency situation takes precedence and it is quite possible that the firefighters will need to leave immediately and without notice.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) has the following tips for dealing with a possible power outage:

 ·         Check flashlights and portable radios to ensure that they are working, and you have extra batteries, as part of your Family Disaster Supply Kit. A radio is an important source of critical weather and emergency information during a storm.

·         If your water supply could be affected by a power outage (a well-water pump system), fill your bathtub and spare containers with water.  Water in the bathtub should be used for sanitation purposes only, not as drinking water.  Pouring a pail of water from the tub directly into the bowl can flush a toilet. 

·         Set your refrigerator and freezer to their coldest settings (remember to reset them back to normal once power is restored).  During an outage, do not open the refrigerator or freezer door unnecessarily.  Food can stay cold in a full refrigerator for up to 24 hours, and in a well-packed freezer for 48 hours (24 hours if it is half-packed).

 ·         If you have medication that requires refrigeration, check with your pharmacist for guidance on proper storage during an extended outage.

 ·         In order to protect against possible voltage irregularities that can occur when power is restored, you should unplug all sensitive electronic equipment, including TVs, stereo, VCR, microwave oven, computer, cordless telephone, answering machine and garage door opener. Review the process for manually operating an electric garage door.

 ·         Be extra cautious when you go outside to inspect for damage after a storm.  Downed or hanging electrical wires can be hidden by trees or debris, and could be live.  Never attempt to touch or move downed lines, and keep children and pets away from them.  Do not touch anything power lines are touching, such as tree branches or fences.  Always assume a downed line is a live line.  Call your utility company to report any outage-related problem.

 The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is the state agency responsible for coordinating federal, state, local, voluntary and private resources during emergencies and disasters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  MEMA provides leadership to: develop plans for effective response to all hazards, disasters or threats; train emergency personnel to protect the public; provide information to the citizenry; and assist individuals, families, businesses and communities to mitigate against, prepare for, and respond to and recover from emergencies, both natural and man made. For additional information about MEMA and Hurricane Preparedness, go to www.mass.gov/mema.

The Sudbury Fire Department operates out of three stations; headquarters is on Route 27, Station 2 is on Route 20, and Station 3 is on Route 117.  When a call for medical assistance is received, the ambulance responds from headquarters with two men, and a fire engine from one of the outstations is dispatched as well for additional manpower.  Which engine is dispatched depends upon where the medical call is located.  This dispatch protocol assures a minimum of 4 men on a call, in addition to the shift supervisor in Car 3.

The fire engine at the non-responding station is also dispatched to cover headquarters so that another crew is centrally located and available to respond to subsequent calls.  Should a subsequent call be received, this covering company will be dispatched along with the original engine company at the first call once they are released.

There is a website for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DPE) that has good information on this.  Go to http://www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/hazardous/propane.htm and you will find a listing of vendors who can take 20 pound tanks.  Smaller 1 liter tanks, such as those used for household torches, can be disposed of in the trash when empty.

Burning permits are issued at the Fire Department Headquarters located at 77 Hudson Road and can only be granted when applied for in person. We start issuing the permits on January 1st of every year, with the season starting on January 15th through May 1st. There is now going to be a $10 fee for obtaining a permit. The permit is valid through the enitre burn season which starts and ends as noted above. The rules and regulations, which are mandated by the Commonwealth, are stated on the permit.

The Sudbury Fire Department assists families by providing, on an as-available basis, installation services for Child Safety Seats. Installation of car seats has become a source of concern as many different car designs, seat designs, and child shapes and sizes makes selection and proper installation of car seats a challenge. We have one trained and certified technician who specializes in these installations and is available for scheduling 2 hours per week. Call our main number to make an appointment.

Underground Storage Tanks are regulated by the fire prevention regulations known as 527 CMR 9.00

A permit is required from the Fire Department before a tank may be removed. The Fire Department will be on-site when the tank is removed from the ground to check for contamination and to ensure that all safety requirements to prevent a fire or explosion are being followed.

After a tank is removed the contractor must take a soil sample for analysis to confirm that the ground is not contaminated. Also, the tank must be disposed of at a licensed tank yard and a receipt for the tank disposal must be supplied to the Fire Department.

Sudbury has a bylaw that requires all Underground Storage Tanks (UST's) to be removed when they are 25 years old or they must be tested each year for tightness.

For further information on UST's, you may visit the United States Environmental Protection Agency Web page. Environmental Protection Agency