Police/Fire

Watertown Fire Department Seeking Transfers to Fill Openings for Paramedics

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The Watertown Fire Department has added a new strategy to fill openings for paramedics — hiring candidates who transfer from other departments. Traditionally, Watertown hires people off the Civil Service Exam list, said Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson, but recently the WFD put out a call for lateral transfers from other departments. The Fire Department has several openings after the City Council approved funding to run a second Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance. “We are looking for transfers now, because paramedics are becoming increasingly difficult to hire,” Nicholson said. “So we’re doing the standard route that we’ve used before, and calling for the list from Civil Service.

Government

Staffing for Second Watertown-Run Ambulance Approved by City Council

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The Watertown Fire Department got approval to run a second ambulance after the City Council approved funding to staff the ambulance on Tuesday. The vote came a couple weeks after the City Council’s Committee on Budget & Fiscal Oversight heard a presentation from Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson and members of the City administration. That meeting was the second hearing on adding a second ambulance. Nicholson said when calls are handled by the contracted ambulance run by Pro EMS, it takes longer to get to calls, and the City is losing reimbursement for the transportations to hospital when the outside ambulance handles a call. Additionally, he said that Watertown’s paramedics are overworked, morale is low, and several have left the WFD.

Police/Fire

Staffing for Second Watertown Ambulance Recommended by Council Committee

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A Council committee voted to recommend that Watertown’s Fire Department should have a second ambulance after hearing about the alternatives and cost of running the second in-house ambulance. Watertown Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson said having a second ambulance would not just provide quicker response for patients in emergency situations, but would also increase the morale of the WFD’s paramedics. He gave his presentation to the Committee on Budget & Fiscal Oversight on April 29. At a prior meeting, Nicholson told the committee about how calls handled by the contracted private ambulance service, Pro EMS, often does not meet the National Fire Protection Association’s standards of providing emergency medical services within 9 minutes 90 percent of the time. For calls handled by the contracted ambulance, the NFPA’s standard is met 44 percent of the time, Nicholson said in March, while when Watertown’s ambulance responds the standard is met 96 percent of the time.

Police/Fire

Council Committee Exploring Cost of Adding a Second Fire Department-Run Ambulance

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The Watertown Fire Department has run its own ambulance since 1975, and has offered paramedic service since 2017. The one ambulance cannot always cover all the calls, however, and the City Council is looking at whether to add a second ambulance. Currently, when the WFD’s ambulance is not available, Watertown uses Pro EMS, a private ambulance company in Cambridge. Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson told the City Council’s Committee of the Budget and Fiscal Oversight that there is a significant difference in response time depending on which ambulance is dispatched. “Regarding response times, National Fire Protection Association standards require emergency medical services to respond within 9 minutes 90 percent of the time,” Nicholson said, according to the Committee report.

Police/Fire

Fallen Watertown Firefighter Remembered Eight Years After Dying in House Fire

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Watertown Fire DepartmentFirefighter Joseph Toscano, a 21-year veteran of the Watertown Fire Department, died on March 17, 2017 after collapsing during a fire. St. Patrick’s Day is a somber one for the Watertown Fire Department. Each year since 2017 Watertown Firefighters pay tribute to Joe Toscano, who lost his life fighting a fire on Merrifield Avenue. On Monday, current and former members of the Watertown Fire Department lined up on Bigelow Avenue, near the home where Toscano collapsed and died during a house fire.

Police/Fire

Watertown Firefighters Save Dog from Fire on Adams Street

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A fire that began in the kitchen of a multi-family home on Adams Street was extinguished by the Watertown Fire Department on Wednesday. The Fire Department responded to a call at 5:31 p.m. on March 5 after resident reported smoke alarms sounding and smoke coming from the upper floors. “The fire, which originated in a third-floor apartment kitchen, was quickly brought under control by responding crews,” said Watertown Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson. When they arrived, crews forced entry into the apartment and found a fire in the kitchen area, Nicholson said. Firefighters from Engine 1 advanced a hose line to extinguish the flames while other teams ventilated the structure and checked for further fire spread.

Around Town

Toys Delivered to 100s of Watertown Families in Need by Police & Firefighters for the Whooley Foundation

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Some of the toys collected for the 2024 Sonny Whooley Foundation. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The mission given to 40 Watertown police officers and firefighters Tuesday morning was to fill boxes full of gifts, and then deliver them to more than 150 families around the Community. They had their choice of hundreds of toys, games, balls, even bicycles that filled the Community Room at the Watertown Police Station. All were donated to or purchased with funds given to the John “Sonny” Whooley Foundation, named after a former Watertown Police officer who would raise money and give it to families in need during the holidays. Watertown Police Justin Chief Hanrahan looked over the hive of activity as people packed boxes with gifts.

Police/Fire

Blaze at Oakley Country Club Extinguished by Firefighters from Watertown and Belmont

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Firefighters from Watertown and Belmont put out a fire at Oakley Country Club on Friday morning. (Courtesy of Watertown Fire Department)

Watertown and Belmont Firefighters doused a fire at the Oakley Country Club which could have been worse if the building did not have fire sprinklers. Just after 5 a.m. on Friday, the Watertown Fire Department was alerted of activation of the smoke detectors and sprinklers at Oakley, said Watertown Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson. Because of the location of the country club on Belmont Street a fire engine from Belmont was dispatched, Nicholson said, and the crew found heavy smoke inside the building. Deputy Fire Chief Arthur Geswell ordered a “Working Fire,” and fire companies found the fire was contained to one room, Nicholson said.