Department of Fire Services

The summer season is upon us once again, starting with July Fourth celebrations and fireworks displays.  As usual with the June issue, this month’s DFS Briefs contains important information for fire departments as they prepare for fireworks displays, including contact information and a fireworks display checklist which provides guidelines for a fireworks program – before the show, day of the show, following the show.  As always, my office stands ready to provide technical, compliance, and enforcement support, 24/7 – especially during the busy 4^th of July week.  The following numbers may be called for immediate assistance - outside of regular business hours, 508-820-2000 normal business days from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., 978-567-3375.

In the June DFS Briefs, you will also find: (1) a memo from MassDEP containing guidance on perchlorate-containing fireworks, (2) information on temporary housing at traveling carnivals and circuses, (3) information on two official interpretations from the Board of Building Regulations and Standards, (4) information on upcoming training opportunities and (5) fire factors for fireworks.

State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan and Massachusetts Firefighting Academy Director Edmund M. Walker will present certificates of completion to members of the Recruit Firefighter Training Class #199 in a graduation on Friday, June 21, 2013 at 1:30 p.m. The ceremony will take place at the Department of Fire Services, 1 State Road, Stow, MA.

Thirty-one firefighters from 18 communities in the Call/Volunteer Firefighter Training Class #44 will graduate on Thursday, June 20, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. at the Department of Fire Services, Stow, MA.

The Department of Fire Services will be hosting a Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Conference at the Devens Common Center on June 20, 2013. Topics include: Charleston, South Carolina Sofa Super Store Fire; CISM for line of duty deaths (LODD); CISM for fire investigators; the impact of fire fatalities on emergency personnel; and the past, present and future of CISM. For more information on conference speakers and how to register, check out our flyer by clicking the above link.

With summer rapidly approaching, many people start hopping into pools, but don’t jump just yet. State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan wants pool owners to take a moment to make a pool chemical safety plan and share it with family members. State Fire Marshal Coan said, “Pool chemicals may become a hazard when they get damp or wet with a small quantity of water or when they are improperly mixed with each other, other chemicals or reactive materials.” He added, “It is important to keep pool chemicals dry. Store them in separate containers with lids in a locked shed away from the house and pool.”

Do-it-yourself projects often involve using products with high VOC’s (volatile organize compounds) which makes them flammable. Examples of these products are oil- based paints and stains, varnishes and polyurethane, paint thinners, etc. Oily rags have a long history of being a source of fire, because people are not aware that they have the ability to spontaneously combust and catch on fire.