Executive Order  No. 22: (1st Series) Establishing fire mobilization regions and organizations

WHEREAS, in the event of numerous fires, conflagrations or other emergencies, the personnel and facilities of local fire departments may be inadequate to cope with conditions resulting therefrom; and

WHEREAS, the possibility of the occurrence of such fires, conflagrations or emergencies is appreciably increased by the dangers of sabotage, planned disorders or other enemy action designed to hamper the successful prosecution of the existing war between the United States and certain foreign countries; and

WHEREAS, it is highly desirable that adequate provisions be made for the coordination, mobilization and utilization of the personnel and facilities of the fire departments in the Commonwealth for the purpose of providing more effective protection of life and property in the event of numerous fires, conflagrations or other emergencies:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Leverett Saltonstall, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, acting under the provisions of Acts of 1941, chapter 719, Acts of 1942, chapter 13, and all other authority vested in me, do hereby issue this order as a measure necessary and expedient for meeting the supreme emergency of the existing state of war between the United States and certain foreign countries.

1. The words "fire department" as used in this order shall mean any lawfully organized fire fighting force, however constituted.

2. For the purpose of administering this order the Commonwealth is hereby divided into nine (9) fire mobilization regions. The geographical boundaries of these regions shall be identical with those of the nine (9) regional zones established for purposes of administration by the Massachusetts Committee on Public Safety and set forth on the map entitled "Operations Map, Massachusetts' Committee on Public Safety, December 1941," a copy of which map is attached hereto and made a part hereof*.

*map not currently available

3. In each of the aforementioned nine (9) fire mobilization regions there shall be a Board of Fire Mobilization Coordinators (hereinafter referred to as the Board). In Regions 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8 and 9, respectively, the Board shall consist of three members. In Region 4 the Board shall consist of four members, and in Region 5 the Board shall consist of five members. Members of the aforementioned Boards shall be selected and appointed by the Governor from among the ranking officers of the fire departments within the respective regions. Not more than one member of any Board shall be selected from a single fire department. Appointments made hereunder shall be terminable by the Governor at any time.

4. Each of the Board members appointed hereto may, by a writing filed in the office of the Governor, designate a substitute coordinator to perform, during the absence or dis- ability of such member, the duties required of him under this order. Such designations shall not be effective until approved by the Governor, and they shall be revocable by the designating member or by the Governor at any time.

5. In the event that the Governor shall designate a fire mobilization liaison officer, said officer shall represent the Governor for the purpose of assisting, co-operating with and consulting with the several Boards and with the persons in charge of the fire departments in the respective cities, towns and fire districts.

6. It shall be the duty of the fire mobilization coordinators and of the directing heads of all the fire departments within each region to prepare a complete and detailed survey and tabulation of the extent and availability of personnel, apparatus and all other equipment for fire fighting and related purposes within each city, town and fire district and within each region. The directing heads of all fire departments within each region shall co-operate with the coordinators in making said survey and tabulation.

The said coordinators and directing heads of fire departments shall co-operate in working out detailed arrangements for the coordinated use of such personnel, apparatus and equipment.

7. Whenever the directing head of any fire department deems the fire fighting facilities of his city, town or fire district, plus such additional facilities as may be available to said city, town or district under an established mutual aid system, to be inadequate to cope with a particular situation, he may request that the Board mobilize and assign to duty in such city, town or district additional fire fighting assistance. Such requests shall be routed, if possible, through the regional fire dispatch centers established pursuant to paragraph 10 below and hereinafter referred to as "dispatch centers."

Upon receipt of such a request, the Board may mobilize and dispatch to a city, town or fire district within its region such fire fighting assistance as the Board may deem necessary. In mobilizing such additional assistance, the Board shall determine the number and the nature of the personnel, apparatus and equipment to be furnished by any or all of the fire departments in the region and shall order the heads of the respective fire departments immediately to send the indicated personnel, apparatus and equipment to the designated city, town or fire district. It shall be the duty of the directing head of each fire department to comply with such orders from the Board.

8. Whenever a Board shall determine that the fire fighting facilities of the cities, towns and fire districts within its region and such additional facilities as may be available under existing mutual aid systems are inadequate to cope with a particular situation in its region, the Board shall so notify the Governor or his fire mobilization liaison officer and request that such additional fire fighting assistance as the said Board may deem necessary be sent into its region from another region.

9. In the event that a Board member is called upon to take any action pursuant to paragraph 7 or 8 of this order and is unable after a reasonable effort to confer with the other members of the Board, he may act in the name of the Board to the same extent that the Board could act if it were assembled.

10. Each Board shall establish and operate a regional fire dispatch center for the reception and correlation of information concerning the fire fighting personnel, apparatus and equipment of the region. Such centers shall function on a twenty-four hour basis.

Information regarding the whereabouts of each fire mobilization coordinator and each substitute coordinator shall be available in the dispatch center of the region. Action taken by a Board or by any member thereof pursuant to paragraph 7, 8 or 9 of this order shall be reported as promptly as possible to the dispatch center of the region.

Whenever fire fighting personnel, apparatus or equipment is dispatched from one city, town or fire district to another, whether or not in the same region, and whether pursuant to mutual aid arrangements or pursuant to this order, the head of the fire department whose personnel, apparatus or equipment is so dispatched shall, as promptly as possible, notify the dispatch centers of the regions directly affected thereby. Such notification shall include information as to the personnel and the nature and quantity of apparatus or equipment so dispatched. Similar notification shall be given as promptly as possible with respect to the return of such personnel, apparatus or equipment.

11. When, pursuant to this order, additional fire fighting assistance is mobilized and dis- patched to a city, town or fire district having an organized fire department, the commanding officer of the fire department of said city, town or fire district shall be the directing head of the mobilized fire fighting force.

12. If the town or fire district to which additional fire fighting assistance is dispatched pursuant to this order does not have an organized fire department, the Board shall designate the person who shall be in command of the mobilized fire fighting force.

13. Members of fire departments dispatched pursuant to the provisions of this order for service in another city, town or fire district shall have the same authority, immunities and privileges therein as if performing their duties within their respective cities, towns or fire districts.

14. Every city, town or fire district providing firemen, apparatus or equipment for service in another city, town or fire district pursuant to the provisions of this order shall be entitled to be reimbursed by the Commonwealth for (a) payments lawfully made by it to any such fireman, or to his widow or other dependents, on account of injuries sustained by him or death resulting from injuries sustained by him while in such service, and (b) for damage to its apparatus or equipment sustained while in such service.

15. Members of volunteer fire departments or part-paid firemen or call men dispatched for service pursuant to the provisions of this order shall receive compensation in amounts not exceeding six dollars for services rendered within any twenty-four hour period. Such compensation shall be paid by the city, town or fire district of the fire department with which such personnel is affiliated, and such city, town or fire district shall be entitled to be reimbursed by the Commonwealth for all such compensation paid by it.

16. There shall be an Advisory Fire Mobilization Board, consisting of not more than seven persons, to be appointed by the Governor, each of whom shall serve for such period of time as the Governor shall determine. It shall be the duty of the Advisory Fire Mobilization Board to consult with, advise and assist the several Boards herein established and the directing heads of the fire departments throughout the Commonwealth.

17. Nothing in this order shall be deemed to limit or derogate from the authority conferred by General Laws (Ter. Ed.) chapter 48, section 59A, or by any other provision of law upon cities, towns and fire districts with respect to authorizing their respective fire departments to go to aid another city, town or fire district in extinguishing fires therein, or with respect to existing mutual aid systems between or among cities, towns and fire districts.

18. The power and authority conferred upon the Governor by Acts of 1941, chapter 719, section 5 (c), or by any other provision of law with respect to ordering or utilizing fire fighting forces of any city, town or fire district for service in any part of the Commonwealth shall not be deemed to be limited or in any way affected by the provisions of this order.

GIVEN at the Executive Chamber in Boston, this nineteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and forty- two, and of the Independence of the United States of America, the one hundred and sixty-sixth.

By His Excellency the Governor,
LEVERETT SALTONSTALL.

FREDERIC W. COOK,
Secretary of the Commonwealth

*FOLLOWING ARE TWO SUPPLEMENTS TO EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 22

Supplement #1

Pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 16 of Executive Order No. 22 promulgated on June 19, 1942, the following are hereby appointed members of the Advisory Fire Mobilization Board:

Medford
Percy C. Charnock, Fire Co-ordinator, Massachusetts Committee on Public Safety

Boston
William Arthur Reily, Fire Commissioner

Lowell
Stephen C. Garrity, State Fire Marshal

Belmont
Raymond J. Kenney
Commissioner of Conservation

Brookline
Selden R. Allen, Chief, Fire Department

Arlington
Daniel B. Tierney, Chief, Fire Department

Watertown
John W. O'Hearn, Chief, Fire Department

Percy C. Charnock, Fire Co-ordinator, Massachusetts Committee on Public Safety, is hereby designated as Chairman of the Advisory Fire Mobilization Board.

The Advisory Fire Mobilization Board appointed herein will proceed to administer the provisions of paragraph 16 of Executive Order No. 22.

Order dated June 19 is hereby rescinded.

By His Excellency the Governor,
LEVERETT SALTONSTALL

July 6, 1942

Supplement #2

Pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 3 of Executive Order No. 22, promulgated on June 19, 1942, the following are hereby appointed members of the Board of Fire Mobilization Coordinators:

REGION I
Thomas F. Burke Chief, Fire Department Pittsfield
John E. Saulnier Chief, Fire Department North Adams
Oscar R. Hutchinson Chief, Fire Department Lenox

REGION II
Herbert C. Root Chief, Fire Department Springfield
Thomas W. Hurley Chief, Fire Department Northampton
Herbert R. Ferris Chief, Fire Department Greenfield

REGION III
Carl J. Kiessling Chief, Fire Department Worcester
Oscar C. Meunier Chief, Fire Department Southbridge
Leroy R. Trevett Chief, Fire Department Framingham

REGION IV
Charles F. Stackpole Chief, Fire Department Lowell
James E. Scanlon Chief, Fire Department Lynn
Benjamin L. Chase Chief, Fire Department Haverhill
William C. Mahoney Chief, Fire Department Peabody

REGION V
Samuel J. Pope Chief, Fire Department Boston
William J. Sands Chief, Fire Department Quincy
Daniel B. Tierney Chief, Fire Department Arlington
Selden R. Allen Chief, Fire Department Cambridge

REGION VI
Frank F. Dickinson Chief, Fire Department Brockton
Everett B. Wood Chief, Fire Department Plymouth
Clyson P. Inkley Chief, Fire Department Rockland

REGION VII
Ray D. Wells Chief, Fire Department Falmouth
Winslow K. Thacher Chief, Fire Department Hyannis
J. Thomas Wallace Chief, Fire Department Bourne

REGION VIII
Edward F. Dahill Chief, Fire Department New Bedford
George E. McGaw Chief, Fire Department Fall River
Edward F. Gorey Chief, Fire Department Taunton

REGION IX
Robert M. Tappin Chief, Fire Department Gardner
Michael J. Shea Chief, Fire Department Fitchburg
Ernest L. Smith Chief, Fire Department Athol

The Board of Fire Mobilization Coordinators in each of the respective regions will proceed to organize their respective coordinating groups for the proper administration of the provisions of Executive Order No. 22.

By His Excellency the Governor,
LEVERETT SALTONSTALL.

July 6, 1942.