Special Operations Resource Guide

Detailed information on all DFS special operations resources.

The Department of Fire Services offers a wide variety of special operations resources to local fire departments. Our team provides professional, efficient, high quality support services to local incident commanders.

How to Activate Special Operations Resources

The Department of Fire Services Special Operations team can be activated 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For immediate response, call 508-820-2000 (MEMA).

You will be asked for:

• Names of requested resources
• City/Town of the incident
• Contact name and number
• Nature of the incident
• Street address

Once a response has been activated, the requesting agency will be contacted with an ETA of the vehicle(s) and directions for the incoming vehicles to the incident.

For more information and to book resources for scheduled events, please call the Special Operations Office at 978-567-3171.

Utility Vehicles

Location: 1 State Road, Stow & 100 Grochmal Ave Springfield

Lengths: 9’ 0” or 12’ 0”   
Width: 5’ 0”   
Height: 6’ 6”
UTV seating capacity: 6 people
ATV seating capacity: 2 people

DFS personnel can transport utility vehicles in trailers to where they are needed, operate them, and stay as long as required. All of the vehicles have medical beds that hold a Stokes basket for transporting patients, as well as lighting for night use.

These vehicles can be used for:

• Taking firefighters and equipment to off-road fires and emergencies
• Bringing water to dehydrated firefighter
• Setting up and running a radio repeater site after a tornado
• Transporting a runner in cardiac arrest from a road race

Drone Units

Locations: 1 State Road, Stow

100 Grochmal Ave, Springfield

58 Bedford St, Middleborough

403 Main St West Newbury

Drone units can provide incident commanders with 4k video, 12 megapixel still photos, and FLIR® thermal imaging technology. They can be helpful for:

• Large structure fires
• CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive) incidents
• Technical Rescue incidents
• Photo and video documentation
• Storm damage assessments
• Missing person searches
• Pre-planning site and structure evaluations and more. 

Drone missions are weather and location dependent. Missions will be in strict compliance with all Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, including but not limited to 14 CFR 107. 

Generators

Location: 1 State Road, Stow & 100 Grochmal Ave Springfield

GVW: 7,000 lbs   
Hitch: Pintel
Length: 14’ 6”   
Width: 6’ 6”   
Height: 8” 0”
Diesel fuel. Capacity: 103 gallons
kVA: 70 - 240 or 480 volts
Phases: Up to 3 
Must meet with an electrician on scene to hook up to a building.

Each trailer has pre-wired100 Amp outlets and some 120 and 240 outlets. The trailer has two Quartz flood lights mounted on poles. The generators service large-scale electrical needs. They can power municipal shelters and pumping stations. Exhaust comes out of the top.

HVAC Unit

Location: 1 State Road, Stow

GVW: 7000 lbs
Length: 19’ 0” 
Width: 8’ 0” 
Height: 11’ 6”
Diesel fuel. Capacity: 40 Gallons

This is a 60,000 BTU, 5-ton A/C unit. 2Hp oil-less compressor with hose. Generator: 15Kw 120/240 with 100 Amp outlet and 
15 Amp outlets.
The unit has small fans to move the air, and tools for use with the on-board compressor. The area the unit can service is based on cubic feet of space and indoor and outdoor air temperatures. The unit can recycle air for higher efficiency.
The unit includes fixed quartz lighting on each side and two extendable lights on the rear.

Incident Support Units (ISUs)

ISU 1 (North)

Location: 1 State Road, Stow
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
GVW: 30,000 lbs
Length: 42” 0” 
Width: 10’ 6”   
Height: 12’ 0”
Setup Dimensions:
2 Bump-outs (W): 15’ 6”
1 Awning (W): 22’ 6”
Shore Power if required: 220/240-volts 60 Amps

ISU 2 (West)

Location: 100 Grochmal Avenue, Springfield
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
GVW: 54,000 lbs
Length: 42’ 6” 
Width: 10’ 6”   
Height: 11’ 10”
Setup Dimensions:
1 Awning (W): 22’ 6”
Shore Power if required: 220/240-volts 60 Amps

ISU 3 (South)

Location: 8 Sand Pond Rd., Onset
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
GVW: 25,500 lbs
Length: 37’ 1” 
Width: 10’ 6”   
Height: 12’ 6” 
Setup Dimensions:
1 Awning (W): 22’ 6”
Shore Power if required: 220/240-volts 60 Amps

Incident Support Units have two areas. One section is a fully equipped conference room. It includes video, telephone, and radio communication for incident management. The other section is a communication center. Two radio consoles provide low, high, ultra-high, and 800 frequency communication. The frequencies cover all Massachusetts fire departments and other channels, including:

• Local public safety channels
• Interoperability channels
• Marine channels
• State agencies including the Department of Fire Services, MEMA, State Police, MassDOT Highway Division, and U.S. Coast Guard.

The unit also has Internet, mapping capabilities, and NIMS documentation. The minimum staffing requirements are 1 driver and 2 operators. The unit is staffed according to incident needs.

Incident Support Trailer

Location: 1 State Road, Stow
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

The Incident Support Trailer is a trailer-based version of the Incident Support Units, and at about 30' from bumper to bumper it is slightly smaller and more maneuverable. It features a conference room with large video monitor at the front, where a conference table is situated with four HDMI ports. Four additional workstations line the interior corridor. A 26' mast camera provides a 360-degree view of the surrounding area, and a Night Scan tower can light up the scene. Awnings on either side provide shade for personnel, and a large exterior video monitor can deliver footage from a drone or other video source.

Lighting Tower, Small Generator

Location: 1 State Road, Stow, 100 Grochmal Ave Springfield & 911 Conant St Bridgewater

GVW: 1853 lbs.
Hitch: 2”
Travel Dimensions:  
L: 15’ 0”  W: 5’ 0”  H: 5’ 0”
Set up Dimensions: 
L: 11’ 0”  W: 8’ 0” 
H (w/stabilizers): up to 36’ 0”
Motor: Diesel
Fuel Tank: 30 gallon
kVA: 7.3
Amps: 30

Large flood lights can also power small electrical needs.
1 - 240 volt, 30 Amp twist plug
1 - 120 volt, 20 Amp duplex outlet

Rehab Units

Rehab 4 (Northeast)

Location: 403 Main Street, West Newbury
GVW: 31,500 lbs
Length: 40’ 2”
Width: 8’ 6” 
Height: 13’ 2” 
Setup Dimensions:
Back step down (L): 48’ 2”
1 awning deployed (W): 20’ 6”
2 awnings deployed (W): 32’ 6”
Shore Power if Required: 240-volts 60 Amp

Rehab 5 (West)

Location: 100 Grochmal Avenue, Springfield
GVW: 33,000 lbs
Length: 41’ 6” 
Width: 10’ 6”
Height: 11’ 6”
Setup Dimensions:
Back step down (L): 49’ 6”
2 Bump-outs deployed (W): 15’ 6”
1 Awning deployed (W): 22’ 6”
Shore Power if required: 
240-volts 60 Amp

Rehab 6 (South)

Location: 58 Bedford Street, Middleborough
GVW: 54,780 lbs
Length: 40’ 2”
Width: 8’ 6” 
Height: 12’ 10” 
Setup Dimensions:
Back step down (L): 48’ 2”
1 awning deployed (W): 14’
Shore Power if Required: 240-volts 60 Amp

Rehab 7 (North)

Location: 1 State Road, Stow
GVW: 54,600 lbs
Length: 41’ 6”
Width: 10’ 6”
Height: 12’ 8”
Setup Dimensions:
Back step down: 49’ 6”
2 bump-outs deployed: 15’ 6”
1 awning deployed: 22’ 6”
Shore Power if required: 240-volts 60 Amp

Proper rehab is a critical component of firefighter health and safety on the fireground and at rescue scenes. DFS Rehab units are staffed according to incident needs, with at least one driver and one operator. They provide:

• Heat
• Air conditioning
• Fluids
• Snacks
• Dry socks, t-shirts, and towels
• Medical monitoring equipment to assist the local EMS

Zumro Tent

Location: 1 State Road, Stow

Length: 21’ 0”
Width: 20’ 0”
Height: 9’ 0”
Electrical Requirements: 
110-volt 20 Amp

The Zumro tent can be used as a medical tent or for incident rehab. It is stored in its own trailer and has tables, chairs, lights, and heat. It can be combined with the HVAC Trailer for cooling or heating.