Fire, Police Chiefs: 'We Need More Staff for Adequate Coverage'

Fire Chief David Durgin tells the town administrator that the department is "well past the crossroads point."

In a December 2011 memo written to Town Administrator John Coderre, Northborough's Fire Chief David Durgin detailed a 10-point request for the FY2013 budget. Among the requests was a "reminder" that the department was promised six additional firefighters with the development of the Avalon Bay apartments and Northborough Crossing. In 2013, Durgin repeated his requests for the FY2014 budget, following up his level budget requests with a "budget discussion points" memo to Coderre, in which he wrote, "I informed you last year that the department was at a crossroad relating to Avalon Bay and Northborough Crossing and their anticipated service demand impacts upon the fire and ambulance services provided by the daprtment. With continued overall …

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Carol C

12:24 pm on Wednesday, May 15, 2013

WRITE selectmen and Coderre on these issues!! Go to a selectmen meeting. Who's on the committee? Can anyone be on it? Where has the money gone? Let's fix this before we have a terrible preventable accident and a law suit or two.   more ›

FD Quickly Puts Out Fire in NewCorr Silo

A mechanical fire erupted this afternoon in a silo at a local paper company.

Considering NewCorr Packaging is in the business of making paper and cardboard products, any threat of a fire is of particular concern, said David Durgin, chief of the Northborough Fire Department. When the department responded to a fire at NewCorr on Monday afternoon, they were particularly cautious, calling in support from Westborough and Marlborough fire departments. Northborough fire responded to the company shortly after 3:30 p.m. after receiving calls, and an alarm, to an alert that a fire had erupted in a silo at the rear of the building. The silo contains a starch substance that carries through the lines that corrugates cardboard. When the company performed routine maintenance on the structure, an electrical motor malfunctioned, …

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Firefighters Extinguishing House Fire

Firefighters from several area departments are extinguishing a fire on Wesson Terrace.

Northborough firefighters are extinguishing a fire that destroyed an attached garage of a home at 52 Wesson Terrace, and was threatening to enter the main structure. The fire was reported about 8:19 p.m. It was largely extinguished by 9 p.m., although firefighters were venting the garage and putting out flareups. All occupants of the home escaped safely. The fire is being extinguished by firefighters from Northborough, with assistance from Southborough, Hudson, and Westborough. Hopkinton Fire covered the Northborough stations. Northborough Patch will update as more information becomes available.

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By the Numbers

FD Responded to More Than 450 Fire Calls in Half Year

The chief's bi-annual report breaks down the department's responses to the town, and that includes a major Nor'Easter.

Twice each year, Fire Chief David Durgin submits a breakdown of the Northborough Fire Department's activities to the Board of Selectmen and administration. Here, we share with you some of the highlights. Between July and December of 2012, the fire department responded to 1,061 incidents, which can be broken into 478 fire responses and 583 requests for emergency medical services. "As with past reports, weather continues to be a major driver of the department's services," wrote Durgin, "with Hurricane Sandy resulting in 17 storm-related responses and the October Nor'Easter with 37 requests for service from wind, snow and downed power lines and branches." Firefigthers responded to a working building fires at Reliable Package and a structure …

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Fire Chief: 'Prepare for the Worst and Hope for the Best'

Chief Durgin has been monitoring the storm since Tuesday, and has a coordinated action plan for Northborough.

"I have been monitoring the storm and its potential since Tuesday," Fire Chief David Durgin told Patch. "I have been participating in (Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency) MEMA and the National Weather Service conference calls since Wednesday." Beginning Thursday afternoon, Durgin participates in conference calls with National Grid to discuss planning and communication related to NG's respose plan and communications with Northborough. "All residents are urged to make preparedness plans and protective measures now and anticipate possible pro-longed power outages. Check smoke and carbon monoxide detection.Be extremely aware and careful in using alternate heating sources and emergency generators!  Carbon monoxide is a silent killer.  …

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By the Numbers

Fire Department Responds to Nearly Equal Number of Medical and Fire Calls

In this bi-annual report from the fire department, Chief Durgin breaks down the number of responses by the Northborough Fire Department.

Based on a report given to the Board of Selectmen at the end of August, the Northborough Fire Department responded to 902 emergency incidents from January through June of this year. Those incidents can be broken down into 411 fire responses and 491 requests for emergency medical services. The mild winter, fallen debris from Tropical Storm Irene, the Nor'Easter in October and the "abnormally dry conditions" throughout the spring made for an unprecedented forest fire danger, said Fire Chief David Durgin in his report. "This presented a unique situation in balancing burning and public safety, with a total of 658 open burning permits issued to residents," he wrote. "Luckily, the town's largest brush fire was held to one and one-half acres." …

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UPDATED: Natural Gas Leak on Otis Street Fixed

Two houses and two businesses on Otis Street were evacuated Saturday morning after a contractor ruptured a high-pressure natural gas main. The gas leak was stopped by noon.

Updated: NStar stopped a leak in a high-pressure gas main on Otis Street by 11 a.m. Saturday. The area has now been reopened for residents, and Berberian's Farm stand reopened. Power did not have to be cut off to the Armeno Coffee Roasters building, said Northborough Fire Capt. Robert Theve.   Original post: Northborough Fire personnel evacuated two houses and two business on Otis Street Saturday morning following a gas main rupture. A contractor digging a sewer trench for the Wal-Mart expansion struck the high-pressure, natural gas line about 8:14 a.m., said Northborough Fire Chief David Durgin. The leak was visible at 9:45 a.m., as NStar was preparing to shut off the sources to the line. Two houses in the area were evacuated, as were the…

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Firefighters Quickly Extinguish Pleasant Street Blaze

A garage fire reportedly spread into the attached two-story colonial.

  Shortly after 5 p.m., Northborough firefighters were called to the scene of a residential garage fire at 109 Pleasant St. The shortlived blaze reportedly extended into the attached main residence and Westborough firefighters were called to assist. “No one was injured,” said Northborough police officer Jeremy Trefry. “It was out pretty quickly.” By 5:30 p.m., all of the windows in the two story colonial were open as were the doors so that the house could be ventilated. Two women could be seen standing with firefighters in the driveway of the home. Firefighters were seen cleaning up equipment at 5:45 p.m. Stay tuned to Northborough Patch for more details as they become available.

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Northborough Joins Toys for Tots Effort

Again, Northborough joins with the Massachusetts State Police and United States Marine Corps to help collect toys for needy kids.

For 64 years, the United States Marine Corps has sponsored its Toys for Tots program, pairing up for the past 27 years with police departments to collect toys during the Christmas season for needy kids.  Northborough Fire Department Captain Rob Theve announced that Northborough would once again be participating in the effort. "We're working with the Marine Corps out of Worcester," said Theve. "We collected more than 1,000 toys last year, and we're hoping to beat that."   As in years past, this year people can drop-off new, non-violent, unwrapped toys through Friday, Dec. 16, at the Northborough Town Hall, the Northborough Fire Department and the Northborough Library during business hours. Sea Dog Steak and Ale has offered to be a drop-off …

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By the Numbers

Your Fire Department At the Ready

How many firefighters are at your beck and call at any given time?

The Northborough Fire Department is more than a fire department, as Chief David Durgin explained. Equipped with paramedic equipment, and paramedics, as well as firefighters and the latest fire-fighting paraphernalia, the department responds to everything from a kitten caught in a wall to car accidents. Presently, there are 16 fulltime members of the department, and 10 on-call members. At any given time, four are on duty and that includes a captain and three firefighters. Look for a profile of your fire chief soon on Northborough Patch. Has the Northborough Fire Department ever helped you out? Share your story with us in the comments section.

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