Fire Dept. Reports Approx. Dozen Service Calls During Blizzard

The following statement on the town of Lynnfield’s storm response was provided to local media outlets by Lynnfield Fire Chief Joseph Lingel:

As Emergency Manager Director, a meeting was held at Fire Headquarters on
Thursday February 7th at 10 a.m. In attendance were myself, Captain
Feinberg and Kenny Burnham, both assistant directors of the emergency
management team. Also in attendance were Selectman David Nelson, Town
Administrator William Gustus, Police Chief Breen, and DPW Director Dennis
Roy DPW Director, Mark Rodgers DPW, and Director Board of Health, Kristen
Esposito McRae.

Plans were reviewed by each department head as to their roles in providing
services to protect the citizens of the town. Common goals were reviewed
from how phone calls would be processed to how the different departments
would respond jointly in an emergency situation. Plans were reviewed as to
how and when the town would provide shelters, food and medicine should the
need arise.

The Emergency Management Director and staff continued to attend conference
calls sponsored by MEMA. (Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency) as to weather and storm updates.

The Fire Department was staffed with a level of 20 members covering 9 different pieces of apparatus. As a department, we were very fortunate that the
majority of people stayed in during the storm. The Fire Department responded
to approximately a dozen calls during the three day event. The calls ranged
from vehicle accidents with transport to area hospitals to alarm activations.

A follow-up meeting was on February 11, 2013 at Fire Headquarters with
Department Heads to review the storms impact on the town. Plans were
discussed on ways to improve communications in the future.