MARCH/APRIL 2015

ISSUE 2 VOLUME 2

FEATURING THE FIREFIGHTERS OF LITCHFIELD N.H.

LITCHFIELD FIRE RESCUE

35 Annual Ham And Bean Supper A Great Success
Litchfield firefighters cooking chili on Friday and bright and

early on Saturday preparing the beans with their a secret

recipe. Served at the meal was ham with Warrens Famous

Baked Beans, potato salad, hot dogs and cake for desert.

Fire apparatus were on hand for the kids attending to

tour and photo opportunities and LFA t-shirts were

available for purchase.

It is estimated that between tickets sold and your generous

donations we were able to raise close to $3,000.00.

The firefighters have a great time putting the supper

together and look forward to each year to meet with the
towns residents. A big thanks to the Boy Scouts for
volunteering their time to assist at the supper.

The Litchfield Fire Department held its 35th, Annual Ham &
Bean Supper on April 11th, at Campbell High School.
Again, this year the dinner was a great success with 224
people attending the event which over the years has gone
from just a fundraiser to a community and family event.

We would like to send out a special thanks once again to all

in Town of Litchfield for your overwhelming and continued
support.

This event is the one fundraiser of year the

Association holds to support the Associations activities

and support members if there injured in the line of duty.

Much planning and time are put into the event with the

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ISSUE 2 VOLUME 2

Litchfield

Inside This Issue

Snow Weight Collapses Bixby

Fire Rescue

Lane Home
Crews Assist At Windham Second

Alarm
Partition Fire Causes Minor
Damage to Single Family Home

Brush Fire Quickly Control By

Crews
Crews Handle CBH Vehicle Fire

Providing Medical Care For Those

Who Run The Boston Marathon

Firefighter Brian Schofield

Litchfield's Bravest

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ISSUE 2 VOLUME 2
the scene. Eversourse was also called to the scene to shut
down the power running to the building.

The resident of the home could not be located and a search

of the home was needed. At 13:20 Litchfield command
requested assistance from Hudson for a standby crew. On
arrival Hudsons crew was assigned as a RIT Team as
Engine 4 entered the building and completed a search. Due
to the collapse firefighters had to use extreme caution
moving around in the building. Firefighters could not locate
the resident and cleared the building. They later learned the
resident was not at home at the time of the collapse.

The building inspector determined the home uninhabitable

and the building was marked and secured.

Firefighter Rea and Captain Nicoll leave the home at 20 Bixby Lane after
the building closed on March 6th.

Snow Weight Collapses Bixby Lane

Home
A single family homes roof collapsed under the weight of
snow on March 6th. Shortly after noon time Hudson Fire
Alarm toned Engine 4 with a crew of Captain Nicoll and
Firefighter Rea to 20 Bixby Lane for a building collapse. On
arrival Engine 4 the found a large section of the rear of the
This photo shows the extensive damage caused by the collapse.

1 story home had collapsed into the basement. The crew

completed and exterior evaluation of the building and
requested Chief Fraaizl and the towns building inspector to

A working fire assignment quickly brought this blaze under control at 73

Heavy fire shoots from a basement window as Nashua firefighters work

Webster Street in Hudson on March 5th.

to control this 2 alarm fire at 11 Ridge Street on March 12th.

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ISSUE 2 VOLUME 2

Partition Fire Causes Minor Damage to

Single Family Home
A home at 16 Laurel Street suered minor damage after a fire
broke put in a basement partition on March 26th. Hudson Fire
Alarm toned a Litchfield companies to the scene at 06:22. First
arriving units reported nothing showing from the single family
home but once firefighters entered the residence they found a
smoke condition.

Crews found a fire burning in the wall around a chimney in the

basement. It is believed the fire was sparked after a chimney
fire spread to the surrounding partitions.

Firefighters from six surrounding towns assisted Windham firefighters

battle this fire at 120 Lowell Road on March 26th. Photo by Al Boucher

Firefighters opened up the wall and found flames burning in

the wood studding. One line was stretched and the fire was

Crews Assist At Windham Second Alarm

quickly knocked down. A small area of additional wall was

A two story single family home suered heavy damage after a

removed checking for any further extension none was found.

fire on the second floor spread to the attic. Windham crews

The fire was placed under control about 45 minutes after

responded to the 120 Lowell Road address just after 15:30 on

arrival of crews.

March 26th, On arrival heavy smoke was showing and a

second alarm was struck. Hudson Fire Alarm received a call
from Windham at 15:49 requesting a tanker to the scene.

Toned to the scene was Tanker 3 with a crew of Firefighters

Rea and C Schofield. On arrival Tanker 3 was assigned to
water supply and staged on the scene.

The fire spread through the second floor before crews could
bring the flames under control. Crews worked at the scene for
about 1 hour before returning to town. Firefighters from
Hudson, Pelham, Litchfield, Londonderry, Salem and Derry
responded to the scene to battle the flames.

Run Totals

Lowell Mass firefighters struck 4 alarms for this fire involving 2 buildings
at 70 Varney Street on March 17th. Photo by Brian Alley

Mar/Apr - 94
Year Total - 277
4

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ISSUE 2 VOLUME 2

Firefighters overhaul the fire area after a brush fire broke out o of River

Firefighters spray water onto a smoldering fire under this vehicle that

View Circle on April 19th.

was being towed for repairs.

Brush Fire Quickly Control By Crews

Crews Handle CBH Vehicle Fire

A brush fire on River View Drive on April 19th, was quickly

A car ignited will being towed for repairs on April 13th. Engine

knocked down by firefighters. Hudson Fire Alarm toned

4 was toned to the area of Charles Bancroft Highway in the

Engine 4, Tanker 3 and Forestry 3 to the fire located behind 9

area of Wilson Farms by Hudson Fire Alarm. On arrival Engine

River View Circle at 17:16.

4 reported a smoldering fire under the vehicle.

First arriving crews reported a brush 50 feet by 50 feet in size

One lines was stretched and crews had to get under the

and stretched a line to knockdown the flames. A light wind

vehicle to wet down the burning area. The fire was under

continued to spread the flames to the size of a quarter acer

control in a short time. Firefighters remained on the scene for

before firefighters could get hose lines around the fire. Crews

about a half hours making sure the flames did not reignite.

worked for about one hour to bring the flames under control
and overhaul the fire area.

Three alarms were needed to control this fully involved home at 4-6
Girouard Ave in Nashua claimed one life on April 13th. Photo by Al Boucher.

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ISSUE 2 VOLUME 2

Providing Medical Care For Those

Who Run The Boston Marathon
By Pat Mason

Pat Mason a long time member of the department

provides those who run the Boston Marathon with the
excellent medical care during the race. These
volunteers are know nationally for their work and their
professionalism and skill were highlighted during the
2013 bombings. The following is Pats experiences
during this years race. A big thanks goes out to Pat to
take the time to write down her experiences of this
years race for us.

I was asked to write about my experience of being a

volunteer for The Boston Marathon. I had been asked
several times to volunteer. I am a member of the
Disaster Medical Assistance Team out of Worcester,
Mass and one of the members on the team is the
Medical Leader at the station on the top of
Heartbreak Hill. She relentlessly hounded me until I
joined.

This year at the 119th Boston Marathon, there were

27,165 runners and 9,000 volunteers. The race is a
total of 26 miles with Heartbreak Hill at the 21 mile
marker. Teams at stations consist of Nurses, an MD,
EMTs, Psychological Support and lay people. For
many teams, you will see the same people return year
after year. There are teams stationed all along the
course. At the top of the Heartbreak Hill, the runners
find us at mile 26. This is a place in the race where
muscle stores are most likely to be depleted and
runners may not be able to continue. Most of the
1300 runners treated this year were treated for
hypothermia. When we are not in the tent with
runners, we stand by the road and cheer them to go
on. Many do not realize that they are at the top and
its only downhill after that. Sometimes that is all they
need to go on to finish the race. I cannot classify any
of the runners disabled - actually quite the opposite.
People with not one but two prosthetics legs run the
complete race. To watch these runners at various
levels of ability is simply amazing and humbling.

Litchfield firefighters participated in their annual Ice Rescue Training on

March 25th. Members wear specialized suits that protect them from the
cold water, keep them dry and allow them to float on the water. When a
person falls through thin ice there are special technics and tools that are
needed to make the rescue and the firefighters must stay proficient so
when needed they are ready.

See Marathon continued on page 7

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ISSUE 2 VOLUME 2
encounter something that you have not seen
before.

Marathon continued from page 6

Over the last few years, the feel of the marathon

has changed as have the rules for volunteers,
bystanders and runners. Some of the changes
were for the better but some just made logistics
harder to accomplish.

I was not sure that I would return the year after the
bombing but I was determined that I should not
give in to the careless acts that took place in 2013
nor give up something I had such passion for. So
this year, like the last 7, I returned to the tent at the
top of Heartbreak Hill.

I have always felt the need to give back to the

community in one way or another. The 23 years I
spent as a Firefighter/EMT with the Hudson Fire
Department and my nursing background gave me
the experience that was needed to react and treat
the runners who become patients. Each year you

knocked down. As crews went down the basement stairs

the electrical panel at the bottom of the stairs was arcing
and shooting sparks and flames across the stairway
blocking firefighters access to the basement. Public service
was called to the scene but were delayed to arrive. Chain
saws were brought into the first floor and holes were cut in
the floor opening a space for water to be sprayed into the
basement holding the fire until the power could be shut
down. The fire was placed under control 45 minutes after
the arrival of the first crews.

The building housed two families and both were left

homeless after the fire. Firefighters from Hudson and
Firefighters work at 10 Woodbury Drive after a basement fire cause

Londonderry assisted at the scene.

heavy damage to the 2 family duplex on January 2, 1998.

Times Past
This month we go back to January 2, 1998, to cover a
house fire on Woodbury Road.

Firefighters responded to the 10 Woodbury home at 08:45.

On arrival heavy smoke was showing from the left side

apartments front windows. As firefighters stretched their
attack line heavy fire could be seen in the basement
windows.

Fire traveled up the basement stairs greeting firefighters as

they entered the home. The fire in the kitchen was quickly