Fire Education, Prevention and Suppression
In 1922, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) named the second week of October as Fire Prevention Week. This is in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. Wakefield Fire participates in fire prevention week by visiting the Paul Elementary School to teach fire safety to the kids. Station tours and the option to "touch a truck" are always welcome throughout the year.
Fire suppression is inevitable. Wakefield is prepared to respond, preserve life and protect property through safe and aggressive fire suppression efforts with all of our available resources.
There are about 40 fire hydrants placed throughout downtown Sanbornville. The rest of the first due fire district is supported by natural water sources and dry hydrants. Central station houses apparatus containing 4,750 gallons worth of water prepared for initial fire attack and establishing water supply. In order to ensure adequate water is supplied for the fire, crews will utilize drafting sites and dry hydrants spread around Union, Brookfield, Wakefield and East Wakefield.
If there is a confirmed fire, Carroll County Dispatch and the Ossipee Valley Mutual Aid Association have a standard operating procedure that an automatic "First Alarm" will be transmitted. When this happens, Wakefield Fire Rescue "all apparatus" will be dispatched along with pre-determined neighboring towns for our in town fire assignments. This will put more fire apparatus on the road with more personnel, more quickly.
Rescue
Wakefield Firefighters are not limited to fire suppression. Members stay up to date and seek additional training in the performance of rescue techniques pertaining to Ice Rescue, Technical Rope Rescue, Swift Water Rescue, Confined Spaces, Trench Rescue, Vehicle Extrication, HAZMAT response, Rapid Intervention Teams (RIT), etc.
Rescue 1 is dedicated to carrying the necessary equipment to perform rescue operations.
Fire Inspections
Captain Brad Beveridge and Firefighter Stephen McMullen work together to provide fire inspection services to the town of Wakefield. These services help ensure that businesses and other appropriate occupancies are up to date on their required fire codes in order to operate. Additionally, these inspections help Wakefield "pre-plan" for emergencies as we become more familiar with locations and structures in town before having to respond there for an emergency. This improves the efficiency of the fire department and helps to ensure we follow our mission.
Emergency Medical Service
Nationally, there are 4 levels of emergency medical service provider licensure. They are the Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) and the Paramedic. Each level of licensure increases the interventions the provider is permitted to perform under their scope of practice.
Both Ambulance 1 and Ambulance 2 offer patient care capable of performing at the highest level of care, the Paramedic Level. All career Wakefield firefighters are trained and certified to the AEMT level, the third highest level of care. The level of care provided is based upon the providers level of licensure. Below are some responsibilities and requirements of the AEMT and Paramedic.
AEMT
Prerequisite, EMT License | 240 Hours | Cognitive Exam | Psychomotor Exam
Capable of performing patient care under the EMR, EMT and AEMT Scope of practice. Provides basic and mid-level Advanced Life Support (ALS) monitored by medical oversight. An AEMT in NH is capable of performing interventions with basic and advanced equipment typically found in an ambulance. They can administer life saving medications for a broad spectrum of emergencies in the field that might include (but are not limited to) myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, anaphylaxis, respiratory distress or diabetes. AEMTs are trained to establish intravascular access and intraosseous access in order to administer fluid and other medications.
Paramedic
Prerequisite, EMT License | 1,000+ Hours | Cognitive Exam | Psychomotor Exam
Paramedics are allied health professionals capable of caring for critical and emergent patients through the use of advanced life saving measures with a broad scope of practice. Like AEMTs, Paramedics also operate under, and are monitored by, medical oversight. Life saving interventions are performed using basic and advanced equipment typically found on an ambulance. Appropriate interventions in the field may include the administration of controlled narcotics among other medications, Rapid Sequence Intubation (RSI), Needle Chest Decompression, or Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy.
EMRs, EMTs, AEMTs and Paramedics are required to re-certify their licenses with the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) every 2 years. This is done by meeting the continued education requirements and sending proof of that education to the NREMT.
