| Student Awareness and Fire Education (S.A.F.E.) |
 Fire
Prevention Education is an important function within the fire department.
The Student Awareness and Fire Education
(S.A.F.E.) Program has been delivered through the school system
to every elementary student.
The SAFE team also delivers age-appropriate safety classes to our
seniors. Annually, the firefighters sponsor a cook-out at the Senior
Center and deliver burgers, dogs, and safety lessons. |
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| Mutual Aid with Surrounding Towns |
The Shrewsbury Fire department can always call upon
our neighboring towns in time of need. The opportunity to help and
be helped is completely reciprocal.
In October 2001, the Town of Shrewsbury called on twenty four of
these communities to fight a stubborn brush fire that burned one
hundred acres in Shrewsbury and Grafton over a three day period.
Shrewsbury responds regularly into the City of Worcester when requested.
An Engine responds to Central Division Station to answer calls in
the city during multiple alarm fires. Occasionally our Aerial Ladder
will be sent to the city along with the Engine. |
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| Fire Prevention Inspections |
 Our call volume continues to increase. So also increases
the number of recurring and required inspections. The fire department
inspects every alteration to an oil-fired heating system, every home
engaged in any mortgage transaction, every new home, most remodeling
projects, every commercial garage. Our computer system is almost complete.
This allows accumulation of dynamic information in a manner that can
be re-printed at will and carried on the vehicles. The firefighters
are surveying EVERY commercial building in town and electronically
accumulating data about the properties. The need for such data was
clearly expressed in the NIOSH report about the tragic fire in Worcester
that claimed six firefighter's lives. The fire department has teamed
up with the building inspector's office to inspect together when appropriate,
thus saving duplication of efforts. Many issues have been identified
and solved using this dual inspector system.
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| Project Alarm |
| 'Smoke Detectors Save Lives' is a slogan used
to promote home fire safety. Every home built since 1974 is required
to have a hard-wired smoke detection system installed. This one
law could be considered the most important legislation enacted for
the fire service. Early detection and warning of occupants has undoubtedly
saves lives and reduced property damage. A hint of smoke will alert
the detectors and allow people to investigate a smoldering situation
that before detectors would have grown to a free burning before
being found.
Project Alarm continues to be a great success. Over 150 homes in
Shrewsbury have had smoke detectors installed free of charge by
the firefighters. Seniors are encouraged to contact the Fire department
if they have no smoke detector protection. The program is free,
due to the generous contribution of the detectors by Home Depot.
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| Occupancy Limits |
| In the wake of the events that have recently occurred
throughout the United States involving occupancy limits that have
lead to large life losses and injuries the Shrewsbury Fire Department
and Building Inspector’s office are currently conducting joint
annual inspections of places where the public gathers. These inspections
are being performed as mandated by the applicable provisions of the
State Fire Prevention Code and the State Building Code. Items to be
covered in particular relate to the maximum occupancy load permitted
within a building, room or space and the required posting of its maximum
capacity. Owners are required to post permanent place cards stating
the maximum number of occupants permitted within a room or space.
For your information, attached is a synopsis of pertinent
sections of the State Fire Prevention Code, 527CMR that are
especially important to review, implement and practice.
It is important to note that the responsibility rests firmly on
the tenant/lessee to conform to the regulations. Responsibility
rests on the fire department to enforce these codes.
Thank you for your attention and cooperation in attending to this
very important matter. Should you have any questions concerning
any of the information, requirements or material contained herein,
please do not hesitate to contact us at 508-841-8522.
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| Informational Brochures |
The Shrewsbury Fire Department offers many informational
brochures regarding fire safety and other related issues. Below
you will find a selection of our most popular brochures to be viewed
online in Adobe Acrobat PDF format.
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| Carbon Monoxide Law |
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OIL BURNER PERMITS, SMOKE DETECTOR PERMITS, AND CARBON MONOXIDE LAWS
WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR INSPECTING CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTION PRESENCE WHENEVER WE INSPECT A RESIDENCE.
The smoke detector law differs in that we are not allowed to retr-oinspect unless selling the house.
The CO law requires immediate and immediate and complete compliance. Consider the CO law the same as
the number-on-the-house law. NO CO DETECTION- NO SIGN-OFF.
Any permit requiring inspection by the fire department requires us to enforce the carbon monoxide law at the same time.
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