Waltham Mass 2nd alarm fire
Waltham - a city of approx 60,000 - they have a combined
police/fire/ems 911 center - they have their own website with lots of
photos - fully paid FD and PD - first alarm for a house fire is
typically 3 pumpers, 1 ladder, and C2 - maybe a private ambulance also
- staffing is 3 on all rigs (approx)
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470.7875 R - BAPERN 3 - police mutual aid channel for eastern Mass
0718 AM approx - Massachusetts State Police (MSP) was talking to
Waltham Police - 117 Princeton St in Waltham - fire in upstairs
bathroom - everyone is out - apparently MSP was trying to relay a 911
cell call to Waltham about the incident - Waltham could hear MSP but
MSP could not hear Waltham on the phone lines - Waltham said that they
dispatched the incident immediately even with the 911 line problem -
MSP said 'we cant get into you on either the 1 way (phone) line or the
2 way (phone) line'
0718 AM - Waltham PD advised Newton PD that Waltham 911 was down -
"you will be taking calls at some point" - we will try to make a call
to get it repaired
(I didnt hear anything more about 911 problems)
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482.225 R - Waltham FD Channel 1 - primary channel
0721 AM - building fire is being announced (probably for the 2nd time
after all units have acknowledged)
0723 AM - Engine 700 (officer on Eng 7) reports smoke and fire showing
- 2 story - single family (home)
0724 AM - "A1 at scene" - (Amb 1)
0725 AM - (Engine) Squad 6 at scene - declares a working fire and
requests a RIT (rapid intervention team)
0725 AM - C2 at scene (Deputy Chief) - Engine 8 sent as RIT
0726 AM - C4 responding
0728 AM - C200 (C2 Aide) requests another Ladder - Ladder 2 sent -
Lake St left to Princeton St
0728 AM - C2 orders 2nd alarm ("on the orders of Deputy XXX, a 2nd alarm" ...)
0728 AM - Medic 1 at Central Post - covering the entire city
0728 AM - C4 at scene - C4 will be Safety Officer - over someone
calling for more pressure
0728 AM - "201 charge the hydrant"
0728 AM - "701 more pressure"
0728 AM ish - Eng 4 & Eng 5 sent to the fire - go College Farm to Princeton
0728 AM ish - "more pressure 7 line"
0729 AM - "(Eng) 6 A at scene" (?? spare rig ??) - over someone
0732 AM - Eng 8 at scene
0732 AM - 2nd alarm beeped
0733 AM ish - C200 to Eng 4 - grab hydrant - possibly at corner of
Princeton and College Farm
0734 AM - Ladder 2 at scene
0734 AM - someone in a mask talking
0734 AM - C200 to Ladder 200 - bring a ground ladder
0735 AM ish - 2 injuries for A1 - drive around - A1 says "we are
blocked by the Ladder truck"
0738 AM - 400 at scene (Eng 4)
0738 AM - Medic 1 sent to College Farm and Amherst to treat the 2 injuries
0738 AM - Medic 2 reports that they are returning from Mount Auburn
Hospital and will drop the 2 firefighters at the fire station - (they
must have taken a serious injury to the hospital with extra manpower)
0738 AM - "AMR we need you at your rig"
0739 AM - Squad 5 at scene
0739 AM - "600 there is fire coming from the front room" - someone in
a mask very clear
0739 AM - 600 is very broken
0739 AM ish - "400 to 402, go ahead Charlie" - (charge the hydrant - maybe)
===========================
I was nervous - several messages from people in masks - not
acknowledged - repeated several times - people talking over them
It was kind of funny to hear the Safety officer talking over someone
calling for water - very hard to prevent - very hard to fix after it
happens - kind of emblematic / symbolic of the state of affairs with
public safety radio communications systems
(also posted to massfire / sme2 / firerad2)