Town of Amherst, Massachusetts


FAQs

	FAQs Frequently Asked Questions How do you get alerted to an emergency? Which station responds to which emergencies? How do you decide? What kind of shifts do firefighters work? Who is on duty right now? Are the crews assigned specific vehicles to drive? Why do I frequently see a fire truck driving around town with an ambulance behind it? Do you ever respond with fire trucks outside of Amherst? Do you control the streetlights in the center of Town? How do I get a permit? Can I have a campfire in my backyard? Can I have a bonfire? I had to buy a new propane tank for my gas grill because of a new law. What do I do with my old tank? Do you teach public CPR or first aid classes? I’d like to volunteer for the Fire Department Call Force but I would like more information. What should I do? I’m a teacher. Can I tour the fire station with my students? I’m a senior citizen and I would like to visit the station with a group of seniors. Can we do that? I’m not a teacher or a senior. Can I bring my kids by one of the stations? How do you get alerted to an emergency? When someone places a fire emergency or medical emergency call to 911, a Dispatcher tones out the on duty crew via a one-way voice pager that each person wears. The Dispatcher gives the crew the a little basic information about the type of emergency and the address for response. The crew could be anywhere when this happens: training, doing an inspection, giving a public service presentation or even returning from a previous emergency call. Once the crew goes on the air (via two-way radio) to respond, the Dispatcher advises the crew of any additional information that may be needed. If the emergency is large enough (or if all on duty personnel are committed), special tones go out via pagers alerting the Call Force, Student Force and off-duty Permanent Force personnel to respond as well. Top Which station responds to which emergencies? How do you decide? The primary factor in determining which crew responds is geographically decided by the location of the emergency. The Town of Amherst is divided into two "districts." District 1 is geographically defined as the area south of Strong Street on the east and Fearing Street on the west. District 2 is defined north of that same cross-sectional line. Central Station covers District 1 and North covers District 2. For ambulance service in Amherst, the district location determines the station crew that will respond. However, outside of town, the North Station crew will respond first to Leverett, Shutesbury, and the northern section of Hadley; Central Station responds to Pelham and the greater part of Hadley. For instance, if the emergency call originated on Middle Street, the Central Station crew would be toned out first. If the call was to Meadow Street in Hadley, the North Station crew would be alerted. It gets more complicated if the Central Station crew is already committed to another emergency. For example, if two Central Station firefighters were already committed to an ambulance call when a second ambulance call came in for District 1, the next ambulance might come out of either station, depending on the nature of the emergency and the available crew. The Captains decide then who will respond. Top What kind of shifts do firefighters work? There are four (4) groups of Permanent Force firefighters. Each group (or "Tour," as we call a shift) is divided between the two stations. Captains and firefighters work two day shifts and two night shifts; they then have four days off before returning to work. The day shift begins at 8:00am and ends at 6:00am (a 10-hour shift). The night shift starts at 6:00pm and ends at 8:00am the next day (a 14-hour shift). Adding the 4 shifts together, personnel work 48 hours over the course of those 4 days. This schedule of "4-days on, 4-days off" works out to be an 8-day schedule on a 7-day week. The result is that the schedule rotates and all on-duty personnel end up working weekends and all holidays. For example, Firefighter Jane Doe starts work this week on Monday at 8:00am. She starts work at 8:00am Tuesday also. Wednesday and Thursday she reports to work at 6:00pm. She finally goes off duty for the week at 8:00am on Friday morning. She will not return to duty for the next week at 8:00am until Tuesday. So, each week her first day of work moves forward one day for the coming week. Top Who is on duty right now? At any given time, there are a minimum of 4 on-duty Permanent Force personnel assigned to Central Station; there are a minimum of 3 personnel assigned to North Station. Therefore, the on-duty "strength" is reported as 7. This number is also known as "minimum manning." According to the Town's collective bargaining agreement, a minimum of 7 personnel must be hired for each shift. However, on some shifts, the regular assignment may be up to 10 personnel, 4 in each station. The Fire Chief may hire additional personnel cover unusual circumstances (such as large crowd events throughout the Town) as he sees fit, on a shift-by-shift basis. Each on-duty shift (or "Tour,") is supervised by a Captain or Acting Officer for each of the two stations. Top Are the crews assigned specific vehicles to drive? Yes. The on-duty Permanent Force crew at Central Station is assigned Engine 1 (designated for identification as "5-1-E-1") for fire emergencies. The primary ambulance out of Central is designated "5-1-A-12." The next ambulance out of Central is known as "5-1-A-13." The on-duty Permanent Force crew at North Station is assigned Engine 2 ("51-E-2") for fire emergencies. The primary ambulance out of North is designated "5-1-A-14." The next ambulance out of North is known as "5-1-A-15." The Student Force is assigned Engine 3 ("5-1-E-3") out of North Station. The Call Force is assigned Engine 4 ("5-1-E-4") and Ladder 1 ("5-1-L-1") out of North Station. Off-duty Permanent Force members responding to a fire will go to Central Station. They respond with Engine 5 ("5-1-E-5"). Other vehicles are assigned as needed according to the extent and severity of the incident. Top Why do I frequently see a fire truck driving around town with an ambulance behind it? The crews you see around town are on duty. They are performing job-related errands, inspections, or public service details. The crews frequently visit the campuses and other high-risk (or "target") buildings to pre-plan and learn the layout of the establishment. We travel in pairs because we have no idea when an emergency will occur. We have no idea if it will be a fire or a medical emergency. But when we receive that emergency tone, the crew has to be ready to respond immediately... wherever we are, whatever we are doing. It is important to understand that the Fire Department does not have a full-time fire inspector. Many of the state-mandated inspections (such as oil burners, smoke detectors, open burning, and quarterly inspections) are carried out by the on-duty crews. Many of these inspections are scheduled for the afternoon hours. Some, however, may be done in the evening hours, depending upon the availability of a homeowner or business owner. For these reasons, it makes more sense for us to travel together with an engine and an ambulance than to separate and risk a delay in responding to an emergency. Top Do you ever respond with fire trucks outside of Amherst? Absolutely. Amherst is part of a larger "mutual aid" network of area fire departments. Whenever the firefighting capabilities of a surrounding community is overwhelmed by the nature of an emergency incident, that community can summon resources (i.e., equipment, apparatus, and personnel) from other fire departments in the area. This mutual aid system goes both ways: if Amherst needs help, it is just a phone call or an emergency tone alert away. Additionally, if a major piece of apparatus is out of service for repair (such as our ladder truck), we can alert other fire departments such as Hadley and Northampton to respond automatically to a fire in Amherst with their equipment and personnel. Without such a system, the safety of the public would be jeopardized by any large-scale emergency, regardless of its location. Top Do you control the streetlights in the center of Town? No. Our ambulances have been equipped with the Opticom system, which sends a light signal to a receiver on a street light, switching the signal to green in one direction for emergency traffic. We use this system along Rt. 9 and as we approach the Cooley Dickinson Bridge during the current bridge construction project. Our engines are not currently equipped with the system. This question does bring up an important point: state law requires that ALL traffic pull over as far as possible to the RIGHT and COME TO A COMPLETE STOP upon the approach of emergency vehicles using red or blue lights; it doesn’t matter if the vehicle is using its siren or not; the statute specifically refers to the red or blue lights. Coming to a stop in the middle of an intersection or slowing down and then remaining in the center of a travel lane while an emergency vehicle attempts to pass is not acceptable. Violation of this state law carries a stiff fine. Top How do I get a permit? Depending upon the type of permit you need, your best option is to come to the Chief’s office at Central Fire Station on North Pleasant Street on a weekday between 8:00am and 4:30pm. Our Secretary will be able to help you directly. You can also visit our Permits page for instructions and permits that you can download, if available. Top Can I have a campfire in my backyard? That depends upon what you (and your neighbors) call a "campfire." A small open air fire in a pit (no more than 3' wide), distant from a treeline or overhead combustibles (like tree branches) for the purpose of cooking hot dogs and marshmallows is probably alright. However, upon the complaint of a neighbor or even a passerby, we are required to investigate and possibly order the fire extinguished. Your best long-term option is to build on outdoor barbeque or let your neighbors know your intentions. You should not attempt a campfire if you live on a street where the houses are close together (such as Cosby Avenue or some sections of High Street). It is simply not a safe practice. Top Can I have a bonfire? No. Each town in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is allowed one bonfire per year by state law. The Amherst Fire Department receives several requests each year from civic groups, educational institutions, and other organizations for bonfires. Your chances of securing permission are very small. Top I had to buy a new propane tank for my gas grill because of a new law. What do I do with my old tank? Beginning April 2, 2002, a new regulation on LP-gas cylinders took effect, requiring a new tank design that utilizes an overfill protection device. All propane cylinders between 4 and 40 pounds, such as those used for backyard barbeque grills, will have to have an overfill protection device in order to be refilled. "Overfill protection devices will make using propane significantly safer," said State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan. "Propane expands when heated, by a hot summer day, as an example. If the tank has been overfilled, there will not be enough space inside the tank when the gas expands and ignitable vapors will leak out to your backyard or shed or inside your car when transporting it. These vapors are heavier than air and sink to the ground and linger. A cigarette or match or barbeque lighter could cause a disaster." The Amherst Landfill will take old LP tanks for a small fee. Many sites where LP cylinders are filled will also take old tanks for a small fee. You can also check the local Yellow Pages under "Gas-Propane." Regarding gas grills, you should note that the use of barbeque grills above the ground level of a dwelling is strictly prohibited in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. These grills are not to be used inside a dwelling, on porches, decks or balconies above the ground level of an inhabited dwelling. The grills must not be located closer than ten (10) feet from a dwelling or under a roof or enclosure. Propane cylinders are not allowed to be stored inside a dwelling. Top Do you teach public CPR or first aid classes? On a regular basis, no. We’d like to but we don’t have the resources. However, we do have in-house instructors who can help you to find a course to meet your needs. Please contact the Fire Chief’s office at 259-3082 with any questions. You can also contact the Hampshire County chapter of the American Red Cross. Top I’d like to volunteer for the Fire Department Call Force but I would like more information. What should I do? You can contact the Fire Chief’s office any weekday (259-3082) to discuss joining the Call Force. Someone will help to answer your questions. Top I’m a teacher. Can I arrange for a tour of the fire station for my students? Yes. You can contact either station or the Fire Chief’s office (259-3082) to make arrangements for a tour. We conduct tours year round. Please plan well ahead of time (several weeks) so that we can be certain to have materials on hand to distribute to your students. And don’t forget your camera! Top I’m a senior citizen and I would like to visit the station with a group of seniors. Can we do that? Certainly! Again, just contact either station or the Chief’s office to schedule a time. Top I’m not a teacher or a senior. Can I bring my kids by one of the stations? Of course. Drop in whenever you see us there. We’ll be glad to show you around and answer your questions.