JACKSON FIRE DEPARTMENT -- 2009
I would like to begin by saying that my first full year as the Fire Chief has been enjoyable. We have had some very difficult calls in town and I would like to thank my officers and members for helping me through this year. I would also like to thank Shawn Bergeron and Bob Goudreau for helping me out with fire inspections. Bob Goudreau is our new Fire Inspector and this is working out very well. He is keeping office hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays if you should need to reach him.
A very difficult part of our year was the loss of Michael Clemons, who had been one of the most dedicated firefighters to ever pass through the Jackson Fire Department. He will be greatly missed by all.
The newest addition to our fleet is a 2009 Ford F-550 utility truck, which is working out extremely well. This truck carries our breathing air and miscellaneous equipment. Unfortunately we suffered a massive pump failure on our 1989 Mack Pumper. It has been fixed and is back in service, however the future replacement for this truck is expected to be 2015 and is currently being planned.
Our radio system on top of Tyrol now has a small windmill that is supplementing the solar panel with 12 volt power. We also have a new monitoring system in place to keep track of the voltage. A number of times last winter this system was under powered for our radio transmission needs for emergencies.
Propane calls seem to be up in the past few years so please mark and protect all propane tanks, including those buried underground. It is especially difficult to find propane leaks in the winter when we cannot even locate the tank. Above ground tanks should routinely be cleaned of snow. The vent holes in the cover are there for a reason and need to be kept clear. Blockages of snow and ice can cause a back up of Carbon Monoxide or propane into your home.
Please remember to check your smoke detectors and CO detector batteries twice a year. If your CO detector is alerting, please do not hesitate to call 911. These devices have saved lives. If either your smoke detector or CO detector is sounding, you should leave the house immediately and call 911.
Please also make sure your house is properly numbered so that all emergency services can locate your house easily in the event of an emergency.
The new addition on the fire station is finally complete and we are enjoying the increased space and insulation. If anyone would like to join the Jackson Fire Department, please contact Chief Jay Henry at 383-4090 or come to one of our meetings held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 6:30PM at the Fire Station. A desire to help your community is all that is required to join. Training will follow later.
The Jackson Fire Fighters Association greatly appreciates the support of the town and the community for their fund-raising efforts in the acquisition of the thermal imaging equipment. This fund raising effort exceeded our expectations and allowed us to acquire this critical piece of life saving equipment.
We would also like to thank the people of Jackson, the Jackson Selectmen, the Bartlett Fire Department, Bartlett-Jackson Ambulance Service and the members of the Jackson Fire Department for their support throughout 2009.
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