The Georgetown Fire Department is a municipal call fire department located in the town of Georgetown, Massachusetts and is comprised of two privately owned Fire Companies, the Central Fire Company and the Erie Four Fire Association.
The Central Fire Company was formed in 1923 and resides in the Public Safety building with Georgetown’s Police Department. It currently has about 25 active Fire Fighting members, and growing.
The Georgetown Fire Department operates out of 2 fire stations with 3 engines, 1 Ladder Truck, 1 Medium Duty Rescue Truck and many other various support apparatus.
The Georgetown Fire Department receives funding from a town budget, federal and state grants, as well as private donations. We operate utilizing a combination of current NFPA and traditional methodologies and tactics.
The Georgetown Fire Department responds to more than 800 calls per year, of varying types. Calls consist of emergency medical calls, structure fires, motor vehicle accidents, as well as general rescue calls. Pairing up emergency response of fires, medical, and rescue calls with fire prevention helps to provide a safe environment for all the citizens of Georgetown. Georgetown’s Fire Department also has an aggressive fire prevention division and a strong public education program to help prevent fires and injury in Georgetown.
Fire Suppression:
The Georgetown Fire Department is a municipal combination fire department located in the town of Georgetown, Massachusetts It currently has a full-time/career Fire Chief, fulltime-career Captain, fulltime-career Lieutenant, two fulltime-career Firefighter/EMT’s and 30 per-diem/on-call Firefighter/EMT’s.
The Georgetown Fire Department operates out of 2 fire stations with 3 engines, 1 Ladder Truck, 2 Basic Life Support Ambulance, 1 Fire Command Vehicle. The Erie Fire Company supplies one of the 3 engines and station to operate out of to the fire department. The Georgetown Fire Department receives funding from a town budget, federal and state grants, and the Ambulance Enterprise Account. We operate utilizing a combination of current NFPA and traditional methodologies and tactics.
The station is staffed 7 days a week from 6 a.n. to 9 a.m. with a minimum of 3 Firefighter/EMT’s. During the week day (Monday thru Friday) we staff and additional Firefighter/EMT to bring the total to 4.
From 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. 7 days a week the station is not staffed and we rely on a minimum of 3 Firefighter/EMT’s to respond from home along with the rest of the available members to answer emergency calls.
The Georgetown Fire Department responds to more than 2000 calls (emergency and service calls) per year, of varying types. Calls consist of emergency medical calls, structure fires, motor vehicle accidents, as well as general rescue calls.
The primary purpose of a fire department and the core reason for its existence is to fight fires; this core work is carried out by members of the Georgetown Fire Department. Fire Suppression response relies on several key factors which include; early notification, rapid response and an aggressive interior fire attack to suppress fires before they can increase in size.
The Georgetown Fire Department also employs current technology to safely fight fires during an aggressive initial fire attack these technologies include:
- the most up-to-date personal protective equipment,
- (3) Thermal imaging cameras.
- NFPA compliant SCBA’s.
Even with all today’s technology most actual firefighting cannot be accomplished without sufficient training and an abundance of manual labor on scene to extinguish the fire.
Also, in addition to firefighting the members of the Georgetown Fire Department respond to emergency medical calls, structure fires, motor vehicle accidents, as well as general rescue calls. Pairing up emergency response of fires, medical, and rescue calls
ISO Rating:
A community committed to saving lives and property needs trained firefighters, proper equipment, and adequate supplies of water. Insurance companies consider it good public policy – and good business – to promote and encourage the efforts of individual communities to improve their fire protection services.
ISO Mitigation Online collects information on a community’s public fire protection and analyzes the data using the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS). ISO then assigns a Public Protection Classification from 1 to 10. Class 1 represents the best public protection, and Class 10 indicates no recognized protection. The town of Georgetown has an ISO rating of 4.
Training:
The Georgetown Fire Department members participate in a training program based on the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) Firefighter 1-2 fire service industry training standards. The program allows for members to continue to hone their skills and allows the department to reach the standards that are in place.
New recruits attend the Massachusetts Fire Academy’s Firefighter 1-2 training program. This allows new recruits become certified firefighters.
Members also participate in technical rescue training evolution and emergency medical training throughout the year.
Fire and Life Safety Education:
The Georgetown Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Division is active in Fire and Life Safety Education. Through our Fire and Life Safety Education programs, allows the department to deliver pour various fire safety messages to the community. Our programs are geared for age groups from elementary school to seniors. Our programs consist of the following, smoke alarms, lock box, house numbers, home escape plan’s, do’s and don’ts of fire safety and many more. These programs are delivered throughout the year at various scheduled times.
Fire Inspections:
The Georgetown Fire Dept. Fire Prevention conducts on an annual bases fire code safety inspection of all commercial and public building in our community. These safety inspections are intended to ensure the safety of occupants in these facilities and that they are meeting state fire code. Also, the fire department offers home safety inspection. The fire prevention division conducts residential smoke and carbon monoxide test/inspection as part of the resale of process.
Emergency Medical Services:
The Georgetown Fire Department provides basic life support measure to the community. Members of the department are trained to the level of Emergency Medical Technician-Basic. The fire department responds to all medical calls in the town.
Prior to January 2012 the fire department responded to medical emergency with a support vehicle to render care and treatment while awaiting a transporting emergency medical service unit.
In January of 2012 the Georgetown Fire Department put in-service two basic life support transporting Ambulances. These Ambulances were donated to the town by the Central Fire Company.
The department staff these two units with firefighter/emergency medical technicians. The department uses a third-party emergency medical unit to provide advanced life support measure in the pre-hospital setting. These two Ambulances handle the transporting of patients to the hospital. Also, an Engine Company will respond with the Ambulance to render additional on scene assistance to the crew.
The Georgetown Fire Department’s ambulances transport patients to area hospitals, occasionally to Boston area hospitals, and to Portsmouth New Hampshire Hospital if the need arises.
First Aid and CPR:
The Georgetown Fire Department’s offers first aid and CPR classes to various groups throughout the year. The department has certified first aid and CPR instructors who conduct these class at the station or off site. These classes must be scheduled in advanced.
