Worcester Fire Department
The Worcester Fire Department (WFD) provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the city of Worcester, Massachusetts.[4] The department serves an area of 39 square miles (100 km2) with a population of 183,000 residents.[4]
Operational area | |
---|---|
Country | |
State | |
City | |
Agency overview[1] | |
Established | 25 February 1835 |
Employees | 424 (2013) |
Annual budget | $33,940,872 (2013) |
Staffing | Career |
Fire chief | Michael Lavoie |
EMS level | BLS |
IAFF | 1009 |
Facilities and equipment[2][3] | |
Divisions | 2 |
Stations | 10 |
Engines | 13 |
Trucks | 5 |
Tillers | 2 |
Rescues | 1 |
HAZMAT | 1 |
Rescue boats | 1 |
Website | |
Official website | |
IAFF website |
Stations and Apparatus
Below is a complete listing of all WFD fire station locations and fire companies in the city of Worcester according to District. The Southbridge, Grove Street and Franklin Fire Stations have 2 Engine Companies. Ladder 2 and Ladder 5 are Tiller Ladder Trucks. Ladder 3 and Ladder 7 are Tower Ladder Trucks.
Station | Address | Engine Companies | Ladder Truck Company | Special Unit | Car Unit (District Chief or Deputy Chief Unit) | District | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Southbridge | 180 Southbridge St. | Engine 2, Engine 13 | Tower Ladder Truck 3 | Car 4(South District Chief) | South District | [5] | |
Grove Street | 141 Grove St. | Engine 3, Engine 16 | Ladder Truck 2(tiller) | Car 2(Deputy Chief), Car 3(North District Chief), Car 6(Safety District Chief) | North District | [6] | |
Park | 424 Park Ave. | Engine 4 | Tower Ladder Truck 7 | South District | [7] | ||
Webster Square | 40 Webster St. | Engine 5 | Ladder Truck 4 | Special Operations 1, Air Cascade 1 | Car 10 (Special Operations District Chief) | South District | [8] |
Franklin | 266 Franklin St. | Engine 6, Engine 12 | Ladder Truck 1 | Rescue 1, SCUBA 1 | North District | [9] | |
Grafton | 745 Grafton St. | Engine 7 | Haz-Mat. Unit 33 | South District | [10] | ||
Burncoat | 19 Burncoat St. | Engine 8 | North District | [11] | |||
Tatnuck Square | 1067 Pleasant St. | Engine 9 | North District | [12] | |||
Greendale | 438 W. Boylston St. | Engine 11 | Ladder Truck 6 | North District | [13] | ||
McKeon | 80 McKeon Rd. | Engine 15 | Ladder Truck 5(tiller) | South District | [14] |
Disbanded Fire Companies
Throughout the history of the Worcester Fire Department, several fire companies have been disbanded.
- Engine 1 - Central St. & Major Taylor Blvd. - Disbanded 2007
- Engine 10 - 424 Park Ave. - Disbanded 2007
- Engine 14 - Cambridge St. & McKeon Rd. - Disbanded 1991
Notable Incidents
Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse fire
On December 3, 1999, six firefighters were killed at the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse fire.[15] The fire occurred at 6:13 p.m. in an abandoned cold storage warehouse at Box 1438, 266 Franklin Street. Six Worcester firefighters died while looking for two homeless victims thought to be trapped in the blaze.[16] The fire went to five alarms and took six days to bring under control. Those killed were:
- Lieutenant Thomas Spencer, 42, Ladder 2
- Firefighter Paul Brotherton, 41, Rescue 1
- Firefighter Jeremiah Lucey, 38, Rescue 1
- Firefighter Timothy Jackson, 51, Ladder 2
- Firefighter James Lyons, 34, Engine 3
- Firefighter Joseph McGuirk, 38, Engine 3
Services for the firefighters were held in the DCU Center (then called Worcester's Centrum Centre). The funeral procession was broadcast on several national news networks and was attended by President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, Senator Ted Kennedy and Senator John Kerry (who flew non-stop from Burma, where he had been attending a diplomatic function).[17] Also in the procession were firefighters from around the United States, Canada, and from Dublin, Ireland.[18]
Because his cousin, FF. Lucey, and high school friend, Lt. Spencer were killed in the fire, actor/comedian Denis Leary, a Worcester native, started the Leary Firefighters Foundation in 2000 to give aid and support to many fire departments, particularly those suffering from budget shortfalls by providing them with new equipment.[19]
References
- O’Brien, Michael. "Fiscal 2013 Annual Budget" (PDF). City or Worcester. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
- "Stations". Worcester Fire Department. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- "Stations". IAFF 1009. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- "About". Worcester MA Fire Department. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- "Southbridge Street Station". IAFF Local 1009. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- "Grove Street Station". IAFF Local 1009. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- "Park Ave Station". IAFF Local 1009. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- "Webster Square". IAFF Local 1009. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- "Franklin Street Station". IAFF Local 1009. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- "Grafton Street Station". IAFF Local 1009. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- "Burncoat Street Station". IAFF Local 1009. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- "Tatnuck Street Station". IAFF Local 1009. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- "Greendale Station". IAFF Local 1009. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- "McKeon Road Station". IAFF Local 1009. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- McDowell, Thomas. "Six Career Fire Fighters Killed in Cold-Storage and Warehouse Building Fire - Massachusetts". Division of Respiratory Disease Studies. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- "Abandoned Cold Storage Warehouse MultiFirefighter Fatality Fire" (PDF). FEMA. Homeland Security. December 1999. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- Jarvey, Paul (9 December 1999). "Words are not enough". Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- Astell, Emilie; Shaun Sutner (8 December 1999). "From president to residents, 25,000 expected at tribute". Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Archived from the original on 30 July 2007. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- "Foundation History". The Leary Firefighters Foundation. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Firefighting in Worcester, Massachusetts. |
- Official Website
- IAFF Local 1009 - Worcester Firefighter's Union
- Worcester 6 Memorial Website
- Box 4 Special Services Canteen Association