Training and Response
In the spring of 1954 Charmer Rose conducted an eleven-week course in first aid. Fourteen members of the new volunteer department took, passed the classes, and received certificates. Also, the State Forest Fire Department supplied training films to be viewed by all the members.
The first two calls for the department with their new truck turned out to be false alarms. One was at the Whitcomb Summit and the other at the Sportsman Club.
The department now had a truck, carrying 1,000 gallons of water and was able to draft from a water source or being fighting the fire with the water it carried to the scene. The water was delivered two high-pressure booster lines that were mounted on each side of the truck.
This innovation was great. The truck would roll up to the scene, men would grab the high-pressure lines with fog nozzles attached, and knock the fire down quickly. A portable pump was carried in a compartment of the truck. This pump could be used to refill the truck or pump water on the fire.
It was now actually possible top out out structure fires. The department began to save the structures not just the cellar hole. The fog nozzles impressed the firefighters. They could cool the fire much faster than with just a straight bore nozzle.
Stanley drove the truck to the fire at the Abbott home on Olsen Road. As he topped the summit he could see smoke. As he pulled up, smoke was pouring out of the house. He figured it was a total lost. The firefighters set up and activated their new equipment. They were able to knock down the fire, mutual aid arrived from North Adams, and between the two departments the home was saved.
Altering the firefighters, by using the telephone tree method was still a problem. The chief would call, but many times no one would be home to answer or the line would be busy. In 195 a series of sirens were installed that were operated by red phones. These phones were located at the firehouse Brown's Garage, and a few other locations in town. When a call was received the person answering the red phone would activate the sirens with a code. This code would designate what area of town the fire was in. The firefighter we was going to drive the truck, would write the location of the fire on a chalkboard at the firehouse so others coming soon after would know where to respond.
This system worked well for the Town until they changed to a pager system about twenty-fire years ago. Then a central dispatch would receive the call, activate pagers the men wore on their belts and tell them where to respond to.