Professional Firefighters of Wolfeboro. IAFF Local 3708

Sunday River Firefighter Ski Race

2010-03-31T09:06:00.003-04:00

Mar. 28, 2010- For the fifth season Wolfeboro Firefighters competed in the Sunday River Firefighters Ski Race/ Chili Cook-off. Wolfeboro had two teams this year consisting of Ret. Lt. Dave Brackett, Lt. Frank Bellefleur, FF Chris Stevens, FF Daryl Morales, Call FF Bob Shilo, and FF Tom Trask. Team 1 finished 9th and Team 2 finished 18th out of 18 teams. All the funds and team registrations go to the Maine Handicapped Program.

Propane Truck Stuck

2010-03-06T22:39:00.002-05:00

March 3, 2010 (Group 2)- Engine 1 and Utility 1 responded to Center Street for a Propane truck that had sunk in a driveway. No leaks were found.

Feb. 20, 2010- Ice/Cold Water Rescue Training

2010-02-28T12:10:00.003-05:00

Single Car MVA

2010-02-17T18:05:00.004-05:00

Feb.17, 2010 (Group 2)- Engine 4 responded to a single vehicle off the road in a brook around 1:10 am. Command reported 1 pt. for transport will be extircating from the vehicle.

2 Car MVA

2010-02-17T18:01:00.001-05:00

Feb.16, 2010 (Group 2)- Engine 4 responded to a two car MVA on North Main Street with No PI.

2 People Through The Ice

2010-01-29T22:08:00.002-05:00

Jan. 29,2010 (Group1)- Wolfeboro Fire Rescue with Lakeside Ambulance and Tuftonboro Fire, responded to Lake Winnipesaukee for reported two people through the ice by Kenniston Island.

4 Wheeler Through The Ice

2010-01-29T22:02:00.003-05:00

Jan.29, 2010 (Group 1)- A 4-Wheeler went through near some docks with Bubblers off of Lake Street. All persons were out of the lake and were treated. Just the nose of the 4- wheeler and a helmet are seen. Photo by Cris Dow

2010-01-28T10:35:00.002-05:00

Jan. 27, 2010 (Group 3)

WAKEFIELD — A two-alarm structure fire at a White Mountain Highway storage facility Wednesday morning caused significant damage to personal items stored in the units, including a sports car and a boat.The fire was deemed accidental but its exact cause remains under investigation, Wakefield Fire Chief Todd Nason said Wednesday afternoon. Multiple area fire departments responded to Sensible Storage at 1621 White Mountain Highway at around 10 a.m. to investigate a reported structure fire. Upon arrival, firefighters found smoke emanating from a row of self-storage units but could not determine where the fire originated, Nason said."There was so much smoke we had trouble gauging where the fire originated," he said. There were separate units on both the north and south sides of the structure and he said investigators believed the fire began in one of the north side units. He said later in the day that investigators believe the fire started in one of the middle units but had not pinned it down to a particular unit. Nason said the fire had potential to spread quickly because of an open space between the dividing walls and the roof. It initially appeared as though as many as 12 units were affected by the fire, as firefighters used saws to force entry into many of the units to check for extension. However, Nason said the fire was confined to eight units."When (the fire) got into one, it was easy for it to travel from unit to unit," he said.Ossipee resident Josh Greenlow said he visited the fire scene after hearing the emergency call on a scanner. He was worried his Toyota pickup truck stored in one unit might be involved in the fire. Fortunately for him, that did not appear to be the case. Others were not so lucky. Greenlow said the facility had a great deal on winter storage and many people took advantage by storing valuables there.A wide range of personal items were damaged or destroyed in the fire. An alarm clock chimed as firefighters pulled smoldering remains from the units. A rocking chair, dressers, clothing and children's toys were among the items charred in the fire. Emergency crews had a silver Toyota Spyder convertible towed out of one unit; it sat off to the side, charred black in spots, with a plastic covering melted to its body and holes burned through the convertible roof. Someone stored a boat in another unit. It was not immediately clear how much damage the boat sustained.Wakefield Police Lt. Mark O'Brien said that when the owner of the facility first noticed the fire, he initially attempted to check on it himself but thought better of it. O'Brien said it was a good idea, since any number of flammables could have been in any of the units."The problem is you don't know what's in there," he said, noting that firefighters pulled propane tanks from one unit. Nason said investigators had not yet placed a dollar amount on the damages. He noted such a task will be a "nightmare" because of the number of items involved, but said investigators will continue to look at it today.It is also unknown whether the stored items are insured. Nason said it is clear that the structure itself is insured, but until they receive more information, it is unclear if the items are covered.Multiple people called the Fire Department after hearing reports of the fire to find out about insurance matters. Nason said they referred calls to the storage business. Departments from Milton, Middleton, Wolfeboro, Ossipee Corner and Newfield and Acton, Maine, provided mutual aid at the scene. Numerous area departments also provided station coverage for departments responding to the scene. By 1 p.m., most mutual aid agencies had cleared the scene. Nason said some investigators remained on scene for several hours more.

Article from Fosters: http://fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100128/GJNEWS_01/701289722

New Home Saved From Attic Fire

2009-12-20T11:37:00.002-05:00

WOLFEBORO — No one was injured and a home under construction was saved after a fire at 177 Kingswood Road in Wolfeboro Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 8. Wolfeboro Fire-Rescue was
altered to the blaze at a home owned by Jerry Moses at 2:17 p.m. First arriving units found a small fire in the attic area on one side of the home. “Construction workers on the site were able to knock down the majority of the fire,” said Wolfeboro Fire- Rescue Deputy Chief Tom
Zotti. “It certainly could have been much worse.” Damage was confined to the attic area.
Cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Wolfeboro Fire-Rescue Department, but was accidental in nature. The last Fire- Rescue personnel cleared the scene at 3:54 p.m.

Ready for Trick or Treaters

2009-11-06T20:50:00.003-05:00

Firemen at the Wolfeboro Public Safety Building handed out treats to costumed children last Saturday evening, Oct. 31 (l-r): FF Jim Savage, Deputy Chief Tom Zotti, Lt. Frank Bellefleur, Matt Fullerton (son of Mark), FF Chris Stevens, FF Daryl Morales, and FF Mark Fullerton passed out Glo sticks provided by the Wolfeboro Police Department and goody bags provided by the Fire Department and Relief Association.

Fire Prevention

2009-10-29T13:04:00.003-04:00

Oct. 27, 2009- Fire Prevention activities at Crescent Lake School.

Fire Prevention

2009-10-24T08:38:00.002-04:00

Oct. 21, 2009- Fire Prevention Activities at Carpenter School.

Learning About Fire Safety

2009-10-22T09:16:00.002-04:00

Oct. 15, 2009- Wolfeboro Firefighters Lt. Frank Bellefleur (left), Chris Stevens (right) and Daryl Morales (not shown) visited Inquisitive Child Early Learning Center in Wolfeboro to educate young children on the importance of fire safety.

Garage Fire in New Durham

2009-10-03T10:29:00.003-04:00

Oct. 2, 2009 (Group 2)- Wolfeboro Fire Rescue was called mutual aid to New Durham for a structure fire. Engine 4 arrived on scene to find a two car garage smoldering.

Thanks To The Fire Department

2009-09-30T20:35:00.002-04:00

To the Editor: Thank you to the fire department and especially to all the firemen that came to our cabin Friday evening. We are people who believe “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This year, however, and perhaps like others in our age group, we are on overload caring for aging parents and life in general. We did not place the fire mittens or fireplace implements close at hand. So when a gust of wind, downdraft, or we inadvertently moved the damper to the wrong position, the cabin filled so rapidly with smoke we could not find these things quickly enough.We left the cabin and called the department. The firemen arrived in minutes, saw the situation, resolved the problem and exhausted the smoke.The firemen checked that everything
was alright and we had no fear of continuing our evening, or sleeping through the night. These firemen were professional, polite and kind. It was impressive how they could be in our small camp with all the boots, helmets, and equipment disturbing nothing and not even soot marks left anywhere. The medical person was also reassuring,staying to make sure we were as okay as we reported.
So thanks again to all.
C. and E. Brunner-Morris
Wolfeboro

Article from the Granite State Newspaper http://www.newhampshirelakesandmountains.com/pdf/GSN.2009.09.24.pdf

Sept. 26, 2009- Danforth Bay Resort Firefighters Muster

2009-09-27T09:07:00.004-04:00

Small fire at Huggins Hospital: No evacuations or impact to expansion project

2009-08-25T09:00:00.003-04:00

August 25, 2009 (Group 3) WOLFEBORO — No patients were evacuated and operations at Huggins Hospital continued even as firefighters from seven departments extinguished a second alarm fire on the roof area Monday afternoon.Police, firefighters and emergency personnel responded around 4 p.m. after smoke was spotted pouring out of a vent on the roof. Fire Chief Butch Morrill said a second alarm was struck as a precaution due to the size of the building. He added firefighters contained the fire to the roof, especially "around the exhaust pipe of the electrical generating system."Firefighters from Alton, Central Ossipee, Ossipee Corner, Tuftonboro, Wakefield, West Ossipee assisted local crews and members of Wakefield and Lakeside ambulance also responded to the scene, as a precaution, Morrill said.Chris Strong, vice president of development and marketing at Huggins, credited firefighters with their quick response, which resulted in the flames being extinguished within 20 minutes. "At no time were any of the patients in danger," Strong said, adding as part of its emergency plan, the hospital evacuated administrative staff to coordinate further action, if it became necessary."It was a very small fire," Strong said, adding hospital officials believe some insulation near the vent caught fire.Morrill confirmed that no patients were evacuated and operations continued at the hospital, even as firefighters placed fans to vent part of the building."There was a smoke condition in the lobby," Morrill said.Morrill said investigators will have to determine the cause of the fire.Strong said the incident had no impact on the hospital's $52 million expansion project, which is on schedule to be completed in November 2010. Construction on the 101,000-square-foot facility on a 17.9-acre site adjacent to the existing hospital began in 2008.

Article from Fosters newspaper. http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090825/GJNEWS_01/708259956/-1/CITNEWS05

3rd Annual New England Fire Fighter Combat Challenge Championship

2009-08-25T08:32:00.004-04:00

The Challenge attracts hundreds of U.S. and Canadian municipal fire departments each year at more than 25 locations and is seen by millions of people worldwide. The Challenge seeks to encourage firefighter fitness and demonstrate the profession's rigors to the public. Wearing "full bunker gear" and the SCOTT Air-Pak breathing apparatus, pairs of competitors simulate the physical demands of real-life firefighting by performing a linked series of five tasks including climbing the 5-story tower, hoisting, chopping, dragging hoses and rescuing a life-sized, 175 lb. "victim" as they race against themselves, their opponent and the clock.

Firefighter Chris Stevens competed in the competition for the first time with a time of 2:56:73. He place 72nd out of 83 male competitors. His goal was to finish under 3 minutes.

2 Found Dead In Wolfeboro House

2009-08-20T20:40:00.001-04:00

Aug. 19,2009(Group 1)WOLFEBORO, N.H. -- Two people were found dead Wednesday in a Wolfeboro house.
A neighbor found the bodies at about 4 p.m. Wednesday on Anagance Lane and called police.
Authorities said carbon monoxide may have contributed to the unidentified victims' deaths. There were no carbon monoxide detectors in the home and no indications of foul play, officials said.
"The fire department did report to us that they did detect with their meters the presence of carbon monoxide in the structure when they arrived," said Rob Farley, the state's deputy fire marshal. "We're piecing together (a) timeline and trying to put together what may have happened in the house."
While investigators said it appears this was an accident, the exact cause of these deaths remains unknown.
The medical examiner's office is scheduled to conduct autopsies Thursday, which will also determine when the victims died. If carbon monoxide indeed took these lives, the fire marshal's office said the victims were likely unaware, saying the gas has no color and no odor.
The victims' identities were withheld pending family notification.

Article from WMUR. http://www.wmur.com/news/20469617/detail.html

Autopsies have shown that a Wolfeboro couple found dead in their home Wednesday died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
John Clarke, 86, and Ethel Clarke, 87, were pronounced dead at the scene when emergency crews were called to their home. A neighbor discovered the bodies of the couple.
"You couldn't ask for better neighbors," said neighbor Diane Pelletier.
Pelletier said the Clarkes loved golfing and gardening, and they spent time with her children. John Clarke had retired from the FBI, while Ethel Clarke retired from the CIA.
Pelletier said she wasn't home when investigators surrounded the Clarkes' home with yellow police tape, but she watched when they walked near the couple's garage, measuring carbon monoxide levels.
"It's just so sudden," she said. "It doesn't seem like it was their time."
Pelletier said the two were relatively active and engaged with the people around them.
"My daughter would be on the trampoline, so she'd come over here and John, and they'd watch her bounce on the trampoline," she said. "They got a kick out of it."
Neighbors said the Clarkes had endless stories about their travels and their professions. They also shared vegetables from their garden.
"We loved them," Pelletier said. "We miss them, and we'll see them again someday."
Investigators said the carbon monoxide poisoning was accidental, but they are still working to determine the source. They said it's not clear whether the gas came from the home's furnace, a gas fireplace or the car parked in the basement-level garage.

Article from WMUR. http://www.wmur.com/news/20480295/detail.html

Wolfeboro Firefighters Fill Their Boots for the Muscular Dystrophy Association

2009-08-20T20:29:00.002-04:00

Wolfeboro Firefighters battled more than fires this past weekend as they collected funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association during their annual Fill-the-Boot campaign. Firefighters held their collections in front of the High School as a “voluntary toll” as well as at the local grocery stores, Harvest Market and Hunters IGA. Proceeds will help MDA provide services to local New Hampshire families, such as expert medical care at the MDA clinic at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, summer camp for youngsters, purchases and repairs of wheelchairs, leg braces or communication devices and other scientific research treatments and cures
Wolfeboro Fire Department Local 3709 is a part of the International Association of Fire Fighters. This is the association’s 55th year dedicating its members’ time and efforts to the MDA. The Fill-the-Boot tradition began in 1952, when a father in desperate need ran to IAFF member George Graney’s Fire Engine Company #1 in South Boston. IAFF Local 718 immediately rounded up 20 firefighters and set in motion a door-to-door canister drive that raised $5,000. Realizing the potential that firefighters had to offer the cause and their excellent image in the community, Graney approached and persuaded other IAFF members to support MDA. In August of 1954, IAFF named MDA as their ‘charity of choice’ and their signature fundraising activity has been the MDA Fill-the-Boot drive. The IAFF has emerged as the single largest sponsor of MDA, contributing nearly $300 million since 1954, all to benefit Jerry’s kids.
MDA is the nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by funding worldwide research. The Association also provides comprehensive health care and support services, advocacy and education. MDA also supports nearly 400 research projects around the world and sponsors 220 hospital-affiliated clinics. For more information, please contact the local MDA office at 603-471-2722.

MDA Boot Drive A Success

2009-08-12T08:07:00.006-04:00

Aug. 7-9, 2009- The MDA Boot Drive held this past weekend was a success. We raised almost $2,000. First we would like to thank the residents and vistors of Wolfeboro for their support with this Boot Drive and for their donations. We would like to thank Hunters IGA, Harvest Market, The Governor Wentworth School District, The Post Office, and Three Sisters Gas Station for allowing us to stand on there property's. We would also like to thank 7-11 and the Corner Store for having our "Fill The Boot" Cans at their locations. Donations are still being accepted by mail ( see our contacts page)or may be dropped of at the Fire Station and the Cans are still out at the gas stations.

Firefighters Collect For Muscular Dystrophy in August

2009-07-17T10:37:00.003-04:00

WOLFEBORO— The Professional Firefighters of Wolfeboro, Local 3708, are
again planning to hold their annual Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) boot
drive in August. Firefighters and their families will be at Hunter’s IGA,
Harvest Market and Kingswood High School on Friday, Aug. 7 through Sunday,
Aug. 9 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)
is the largest national sponsor of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. In 2008, firefighters
across America led by IAFF members raised over $25,600,000 to aid in the fight against neuromuscular disease. For the past three years with your help, Wolfeboro has been able to raise over $5,000 for MDA. What happens to your donation? All funds collected will help
New Hampshire kids attend summer camps and help them benefit from other programs.

Man Injured in Wolfeboro Jet-Ski Collision Flown To Boston

2009-07-12T14:45:00.002-04:00

July 11, 2009- (Group 1) WOLFEBORO, N.H. -- A Tuftonboro man was taken to a Boston hospital Saturday after a jet-ski collision in Wolfeboro. Kenneth Hlushuk, 55, suffered a serious injury to his leg after he turned into the path of another jet-ski, authorities said. An unidentified 40-year-old woman on the other jet-ski was not injured. Hlushuk was taken to Huggins Hospital before he was flown to UMass Medical Center in an unknown condition. The crash remained under investigation.

Article from WMUR. http://www.wmur.com/news/20030681/detail.html

July 4, 2009- Parade

2009-07-07T20:17:00.004-04:00

"The New Engine 4". (Coming Soon)

2009-06-23T19:45:00.001-04:00