Oh my gosh!

If this had happened when the south station was closed the rest of the town would be in serious trouble. Society is asking more and more of fire departments and we are cutting them? How does that add up. No longer are they just a FIRE dept. They handle any emergency in town from a car accident, medical call, fire, hazmat, alarm activation, any type of search and rescue etc. The list is endless. They accompany the police on a large number of their calls. The fire service also has the task of commercial and residential inspections, construction plan review, and public fire safety education. The ever growing demand on this service is amazing and that is why closing a station is absurd.

Relax John Smith.... If that is really your true name

Fire dept does not respond to burglar alarms. Did someone say that? The fire engines respond to everything for extra hands so that the ambulance isn't delayed in leaving and getting to the hospital. It also takes two people to do CPR and who drives the ambulance, a firefighter. Why would the rest of the town be in serious trouble you ask, because emergencies do not happen one at a time and if a third of the fire dept is not staffed that seriously impacts the entire town and the ability to respond. Bob this is not scare tactics, it is reality. This is just making the residents aware of what is coming. How is that a bad thing. Would you rather be blind sided and say why is the station closed for half the year and why were the residents not told ahead of time?

You know, the people of Tewksbury should really become educated on unions and their fire department. And, as for those who are so quick to judge on these open forums, you should hope to god that your mother, father, child, loved one, etc. never is in serious need of a FF or EMT in the town, and that they are able to get to you quickly enough with the right equipment. You actually sound SO UNEDUCATED with the rants and stupidity that you spew on here. The fire department spending/ cost and the limited resources that they actually use are the least of the worries in the town of Tewksbury. And BTW, the town is FAR too big to be closing any station. It should be considered a city with its population at this point. Condos, housing, med facilities, standby's for other towns... etc. It is funny how some are so quick to judge when they have no facts or backbone to support what they are up on their soapbox squawking about! I would wonder, have those who are NOT supporters actually been in the center station? Talked to the FF and EMT's, Talked to them about their work schedules? Their limited resources? The hard work they put in? What they are faced with on the calls they go out to? What equipment that is utilized on calls? Doubtful. I have.

Ever play one of those city building games? You know what happens in them when you cripple the heath and safety buildings for whatever reason? Buildings burn down, people die, buildings collapse, people get eaten by wolves, the plague strikes, etc. Silly comparison, yes, but when you don't take care of the basics, health, safety, and I'm adding infrastructure too, bad things happen.

John Smith is a Fireman he's pro union but taking a back door approach read some of his comments

Bob, Ron, and John Smith's evil brother, I have said my piece and shared my concern. Ultimately it is up to the residents to decide what kind of services they want. I won't upset you with anymore posts, I just hope the people who do not get involved or do not value the service provided by the fire dept enough to pay for it, are ok with the potential for serious delays or worse. Anyone who thinks this is a scare tactic does not understand public safety. Thanks to all of you are passionate about this very serious issue. see ya!

So what if he is Pro Union and if he is a FF. What he is saying here is fact. Is that bothersome to you? Not sure why? I am personally not pro union in 'some' cases, but for these jobs I am 100%. The issue is, people do not want to hear the truth. They want to hear the political agenda that quite honestly is almost never truth. These men and women risk their lives sometimes on the simplest of calls. They are not paid well, they "live" in some pretty poor conditions (check out Center and North Station sometime, places should be condemned), but they actually love, or most do, thier jobs and helping others. Do you love your job?? Thats all... Peace!

Personally maybe if there weren't 15 police officers on duty just on the ROADS at all times then the South Station would probably be able to operate year round. I mean not much happens in Tewksbury on the midnight shift. So why is there a need for 15 cruisers patrolling the street?

I'm glad TFD responded and saved my restaurant. Thank you very much

2 alarms, "significant damage" and it appears they are open for business today!

@tired of tewksbury: First please checks the facts on raises and benefits. This is not the forum for that. But look into it on your time. Second, knowing many of the firefighters they do not go to work to be heroes as you call them. The go to work proudly to protect and serve the residents of this community, and always will.

Great work by our TFD!! It seems damage is minimal thanks to an observant resident at the Motel Caswell. Another great response time at 330am, while the majority of town is sleeping, our Fire people were quick to activate. Love it!

I'd take a FF job any day at the pay they get. But I'm not related to anyone so I gues thats out read about the salaries of town officials in this link

http://www.tewksbury.net/Pages/TewksburyMA_BComm/BOS/Annual_Reports/Annua2011.pdf

Anyway, back to the Jade, maybe they will think about remodeling now. the place looks like the 70's puked in it. Time for some new carpets and some new benches.

fire calls from town report-
1990- 3160
2011- 6701
The calls in approx 20 years have more than doubled and the size of the workforce has stayed the same. How can a station close when the demand has doubled in 20 years?

They don't get on because they are "related" to someone. Such a stupid comment, they have to score high on exams and they they choose the departments they wish to go to. Most choose the towns in which they live and are put on a list until an opening becomes available. What an idiot. And.. not sure where you see what they make, I know it isn't much. Broken down per hour, it is actually a really sickening rate of pay. Esp. for what they do. WAKE UP PEOPLE! Done with such nonsense. If the tax rates are too high and you do not support your community and what they stand for... MOVE! Simple as that!

Good thing the Caswell is still there at Keats it's good for something and thank you John Smith for serving the town of Tewksbury and for helping out at the motor vehicle accident I was in and the two medical emergancys we had at my house over the years in south tewksbury thank you. Keep that South Street station open

They should have let the place burn down.
It is a dump and an eyesore

Funny thing is people rant and rave about Firefighters and Unions...that is until you need them. From personnel experience...if it were not for the TFD, and especially Murph, I may be dead today. I suffered a major heart attack in October 2012 and they responded in minutes and had me in surgery in 20-30 minutes. My guess is when you, or someone you know, needs them you will change all this negative to positive. If it is such an easy job then why doesn't everyone do it? Because it takes special men and women to handle the stresses they face. My hat is off to the TFD and ALL firefighters and EMT's in the world!

This just makes me sick. As a firefighter/paramedic for a surrounding town, but lived in Tewksbury my whole life I can't believe the misconfusion here. The TFD does a GREAT JOB with limited resources and equipment. As a Resident of south Tewksbury. I would gladly support the fire station to be open 365. And to talk about pay and work schedules. The pay is NOT great. If it was I wouldn't have to work a second job to support my family. And to the schedules let me ask anyone who is willing to work: nights, weekends, holidays, birthdays and be away from there familys. I LOVE my job. I chose this profession and I love helping people and doing this job. It just makes me sick, at how many people really have no idea what we deal with on a regular basis. So I support my fellow union brothers. Open up the south station

All FF put their life on the line everyday. They run into buildings to save others & many lose their lives doing so.
I know personally, my Dad lost his life in the line of duty.
Cutting back FF's & stations is putting thrir lives , and the resisents of our town in danger.

I think we should all consider ourselves lucky for the Fire Department and the Police Department we have in Tewksbury.

As a resident reading these blogs I have to say that I agree with one comment about the South Engine keeping the town safe...how was it protecting us if it was at the fire as reported? As a FF I know that the 3rd "due" Engine (E2) was the one who gained additional water supply and protected exposures so other buildings didn't catch fire either. Perhaps they were covering at Center Station prior to getting called in on the 2nd alarm? It sounds like John Smith is a FF so I can understand his passion. What I am willing to do as your Selectman is to keep that South Station open by whatever is FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. I will not cut Police patrol as was suggested by a former first lady, we need all hands on deck these days with break-ins abound to support heroin addictions. I will not ask to raise taxes either...Boston Globe reports 30% increase over the last 5 years according to a web-post by another "commenter" on a different issue. I will advocate for responsible cuts that nobody wants; but we need to prioritize. I will push for infastructure changes to improve traffic flow and create an appealling commercial corridor to increase business, especially in South Tewksbury. I will advocate for refinancing the Sewer project debt to lessen the burden that is now on the Tax Base for 50%. Most importantly, I will be an advocate for the people, A Voice for the People who are working class like my family and I.

Thank you for the link to the Annual report for the town. It clarified for me just how I believe some people responding to this conversation are misinformed. The overt judgement and criticism of our Firefighters hours of work and compensation rates is not fair. These people are trained to save lives! The job is very physical and not easy for some people to do until retirement. To target them and judge from afar is so wrong. If you read a bit about our DPW staff they are paid well above the salaries of our Fire Fighters. There are several members making near to or over $20,000/yr in OT (on top of higher base pay then the average FF). This is crazy. We freely allow DPW to get OT but are complaining about our FD?? This doesn't seem right. There may be a good reason for the DPW to need OT like this, I don't know but I feel frustrated in reading this report. Our DPW staff seem to have higher limits of overtime because it proportionately (to salaries) is really high. Maybe outsourcing snow removal in the winter to pay others at straight pay, balancing some of our OT for the DPW might free some funding for the South St station.

http://www.tewksbury.net/Pages/TewksburyMA_BComm/BOS/Annual_Reports/Annua2011.pdf

Keep in mind that FF also works 500+ more hours per year than an average "person" per salaried hours. Another fact that is never taken into consideration. Their salary is based on a 48+ hour work week, not 40. They also arrive early for shift and do not RUN OUT the door when their shift ends in addition to their 48 hour regular shift!

my comments are not intended to be disparaging against the DPW or any of the employees that work hard every day, they do a great service for our town. I am speaking to the budget and considerations that have obviously been made. It seems crazy to spend on DPW and request that the FD close for part of the year. Our Fire and Medical safety should be more of a priority in this town. I am not talking apples and oranges, I am talking about "where is the money going and what are the priorities"??

BOB, U have obviously done it all, been there, worked in every job there is, saved lives, given examples that r statistically impossible, been superman. "Some TFD" actually know who u r and r used to ur anti everything, so U need to move on from the topic. Nothing will please u here I see. UR inaccuracies are laughable & U have an answer for everything! I too am exempt, work 60+ hours a week, travel, have a MS degree, I chose my profession, and what I chose entails OT, but does not entail the mental everyday dealing or witnessing of death or dismemberment of human beings, physical harm or the threat of, dealing with the pubic or the rigorous work of fighting a fire or other threat of harm to myself or others. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT “I do” and what a civil servant or military person does, HELLO! R U for real Bob?? The point of all MY discussion here is these guys/girls are not well paid for what they do, they have not seen pay hikes, even when costs to live has risen. They protect, they respond, they SAVE lives and there should be NO price cut/ reduction put on that by making cuts, closing stations, etc. Why put a human life in danger by doing so? They don't do anything special Bob? I am happy that the majority here does not share in your opinion. Here is my recommendation to you, when you have an emergency, a fire, an intruder, save Urself! Really, save URself. I am out of this convo, it is like dealing with an infant. Thank U to all FD and PD.

It is true that some may run into a building to save a life or pull a badly injured individual from an automobile accident...probably on pure adrenaline BUT we are talking about Firefighters who do it daily, weekly, and monthly not a once in a lifetime deal! What they see and do on their shift I can only imagine. They may not be "superhuman" but they are special people who work very hard for the Town of Tewksbury. As far as the "Murph" that I referenced in my earlier post...I am not sure of his full name and I stopped by twice to meet him after I recovered, but he was out on a call both times. What he did that day was to keep me calm in the face of what I felt was my impending death....so thank you Murph and all the Tewksbury Firefighters!

I know Bob, I'm a fool. Keep talking, Superman!

Speaking strictly as a "Malcontent" this blog has become completely silly and over the top foolishness.....My God...........

Ron Watson
As a long time resident of Wilmington and Tewksbury, I know that this discussion on the pay, union, OT, Etc. for Fire Fighters wil continue to go on , probably forever. I know it has been going on since the early 60s through experience. Most FFS have to work a second job to make ends meet. Most FFs will die earlier than the average worker. Almost every FF will have multiple times in their careers when the enormity of the task will physically and emotionally effect them in ways that the average person will never understand. Do they sleep on the job, sure they do-- but you try be woken up by a Klaxen and not knowing if in the next 5 min. you will be trying to save a family from a burning building or trying to pull someone from a car that is on fire and ready to explode. You want to take care of the salary problem? Put a 90% Tax on the salary of the athlete who is making $20,000,000 a year to play baseball,(oh he's not able to play this week cause he has a hangnail and it hurts when he catches the ball). Tax the Actor or actress the same way. Then divide all that new revenue up and give it to the First Responders, who make $30,000- $60,000 a year, and really make a difference in our lives. I know this can not really happen, and that I am ranting, but I come from a family who were FFs and I know the struggle it was to survive on their salary. I also know how many of my family are gone from heart and lung diseases earlier than the average.

Did anyone force the FFs to be a FF, or did they get into it voluntarily?
Why is there a long waiting list if it is such a HORIBLE job?

I suspect there is a long list to get hired because there are limited openings and plenty of service minded people seeking a career with a purpose. No one forces someone into the military either but some of the things they are forced to do are above and beyond what they envisioned. Public safety workers exist to respond to tragic events and do what they can to make the outcome better. What they encounter can be horrible at times and not everybody is wired to handle a career like that.

Plenty of service minded people seeking a career with a purpose. Public safety workers exist to respond to tragic events.

That must be it.
LOL (or should I say BS)

LOL, what is your problem? You asked a question and I gave what I thought could be a logical answer to your question. You then reply, "lol or should I say BS". You must like to laugh and think everything is a big joke. You took two of the sentences that I wrote and put them out of context. They were not together in my post. Separate thoughts you linked together. Strange! Why would you ask a question and they insult someone who answers it and gives their opinion? People like you are dragging this issue into the mud and avoiding the real topic which has always been keeping all of the fire stations open. Move on if your goal is to laugh.

I've said it before, but apparently I have to say it again. We will get the type of public safety response we want to pay for, simple as that. Some would wish we close them all down and go volunteer, great idea, better leave some buckets filled with water around your property. The end result will be more parking lots, great for business. The town voted to keep TM etc, so lets see if the town shows up at TM..... you wanted a voice?, you got one, show up and support your town, you can spend our money wisely or foolishly.....Oh ya, get out and vote on April 6 !

My property taxes have more than doubled, almost tripled since we purchased our house. I would like to spend my money wisely and keep it in my pocket. I am sure the next one waiting on the long list will be happy to replace the one that will quit.

Cash is king. Keep the cash where it belongs, town reserves..
Where do you usually shop for your groceries, Whole Foods or Market Basket?
Why pay more for an IDENTICAL item when you can get it cheaper elsewhere.

It would certainly be helpful to understand the Town's position regarding this. This is not the best forum for these matters but now that it's out there the Town should give their side.
Who Me?
Notorious Malcontent and General All Around Nuisance.

THIS DOESN'T MAKE YOU WANT THE JOB?? CMON POLICE AND FIRE GET IN LINE WITH MAINSTREAM AMERICA AND HE TAKES SOMEONES JOB AS SECURITY CHIEF WHILE COLLECTING A PENSION GRRRRRRRR!!!

http://andover.patch.com/articles/pattullo-retiring-as-police-chief-in-july

OMGI looked at the 2011 report and the amount of money in overtime is nuts. And the pay of the town manager ....didnt know it was that high for his salary. The amount the fire fighters and police officers made is a lot. Mr. M if you cannot live on your salary and your overtime and its what our guys get 90,000 + then you better take a finance course before you become a selectman.

You know what, I also find what the town manager makes to be offensive, 163K. He makes 100 thousand dollars more than your average town worker. I can see him being the highest paid but 100k more, that is ridiculous.

Requirements to become a Fire Fighter:
Most Fire Departments require that you are at least 18 years of age by the closing date of the recruitment period.

Required is a HSD or GED.

http://www.firecareerassist.com/html/firefighter_qualifications.htm

Requirements to become a Town Manager:

Due to the vast amount of responsibilities of this position, you will usually need

extensive experience in municipal management to become a town manager.

bachelor's or master’s degree in a related field which may include political science, business management, or public administration.

http://www.wisegeek.net/how-do-i-become-a-town-manager.htm

So basically the entry requirements for a firefighter and town manager are the same. You have to be 18 with a high school diploma or GED to get into most colleges and start your path towards being a town manager. You have to be 18 with a hs diploma or GED to start your path towards being a firefighter. After the entry requirements that is where the training is vastly different. I think every career starts at 18 with a hs diploma or GED.

Mr. Menard, with all due respect. The 10 year thing has been de-bunked many times over. Sure there can be dangers, dangers in many jobs, but lets be honest and factual please. Modern Firefighting has it's risks and rewards but it's actually a very safe way to earn a living in the modern era.

Thank You

http://davisvanguard.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2977:calpers-debunks-myth-of-shorter-life-expectancy-for-safety-employees&Itemid=79

And no one is demeaning the Firefighter position, I'm certainly not, but sometimes the hyperbole goes on to a point where the actual point of the discussion becomes completely lost.
Thank you again.
Who Me?
A well informed malcontent

Huh! That is funny, a safe way to make a living. that comment takes the prize for most uninformed of the entire topic. I wouldn't believe it if I didn't read it myself. I am actually laughing as I write this that someone would actually put firefighting in the safe category for careers. From heart attacks to back injuries, exposure to blood borne diseases and other sickness, it will never be a safe way to make a living. You even said "very safe way to earn a living". I agree that the job is safer due to technology but it is like saying being in the infantry is safe because we use drones and pin point missiles from far away. Some tasks will always be tedious and dangerous no matter what.

Exhibit A

I will assume you are a Firefighter Dave and I wish you a good and safe career, I really do. Here's what I don't get, I have 3 Nurses in my family. Nursing is a tough job. High rates of back injuries, exposure to every kind of bio hazard you can think of, night shifts, weekends, holidays etc.
I never hear em complaining about any of it. I just don't get the rabid hyperbole regarding Firefighting and how it relates to other occupations.

Nurses are awesome and they do a great and difficult job. Most nurses never lift a patient, they have techs and nurses assistants for that. Nurses are exposed to bio hazards like firefighters but they do it in a controlled environment not a ratty hotel room or moving ambulance. Every nurse I know makes at least 30 dollars and hour and some as much as 50 and hour. They have a night and weekend pay differential and time and a half for holidays. All my nurse friends make 80k plus a year, every year. They have a pretty good job. I did not read anyone here comparing professions. Several people were defending the job of a firefighter from the scrutiny of others, that's all. As far as firefighting not making the list of most dangerous jobs anymore, that is because they do not have a fire every time they go to work. If they did it would be the most dangerous job. A miner enters a mine everyday so his job is more dangerous day to day. Going into a burning building is just as dangerous, probably more, but it just happens so much less(thank god).

I won't demean anyone's job Dave. And I won't demean Firefighting as well, no should I. It's an honorable way to make a living. Surly you will agree that a simple story regarding a roof fire at the Jade, collapsed into a bit of silliness and over the top hyperbole, and I can never figure that out.

Now I give what I get but for the most part I try to be respectful if someone is respectful to me.

Enjoy your evening.
Who Me?
Sometimes not an unreasonable malcontent

Well I think the main point was just that any fire in town with limited resources available can leave the rest of the town in a bad way. Being down one third of an already small fire dept is a big deal when the south station is closed. Difficult topic to say the least, but necessary. Enjoy the rest of your weekend as well.

Geez Dave

You think it is too dangerous and not enough pay. QUIT. Go find some other job that will pay 70 K to someone with a GED. Stop begging for crying out loud.

This is not a personal issue to me. To phrase it in sporting terms, I don't have a dog in this fight. However, those who have commented on this issue seem to have a vested interest. There are obviously firemen who have a vested interest and those who feel they don't deserve what they earn. I don't have this information but I have to ask, are Tewksbury firefighters overpaid for the market? That is what others commenting here lead me to believe. What do the surrounding towns earn? That is where the benchmark lies. Yes, everyone get upset when others earn more than they do. However, each profession, each job category, and geographical locations determine what the market bears. I would love to earn Tiger Woods money. How about David Ortiz, George Clooney, or JayZ. My golf swing slices, cannot hit a curve ball, can't act, and certainty cannot sing. Those people can and they get paid accordingly. All those who have commented negatively had the opportunity to become one and you chose not to. If they are overpaid in comparison to surrounding towns, they don't give them a raise in these times. If they are underpaid, then give them a raise. I understand this issue is about the South Fire Station. But to blame the fire fighters for being greedy seems short sided to me. I have nothing but gratitude for out public safety people. I CHOSE not to become one in their profession. I would hardly be in a position to criticize those who did.

God Bless