Reminder: The next Bulk Pick-up is scheduled for Monday, May 20. All items should be curbside by 7 a.m. for pick-up. Stickers will be required and may be purchased from the Town Clerk’s Office. Each household may receive two stickers at no cost and there will be a charge of $15 for additional stickers if needed.
MEETING ABOUT PFAS
MEETING ABOUT PFAS FOUND IN SOME WELLS
Inspection Essentials Course Offered
Hampton Fire/Rescue will be hosting the Inspection Essentials curriculum presented by the New Hampshire Fire Marshal’s Office. This curriculum will bring high quality instruction on fire prevention topics that can be immediately applied in daily use.
The courses are designed around specific situations that are common to all members of the fire service.
Fire Prevention is the primary way to ensure public and firefighter safety. These courses will assist in preparing Fire Prevention Officers, Inspectors, Company Officers and Firefighters with recognition and understanding of areas that are common concerns.
The New Hampshire Fire Academy has provided a CREF number for each class. They will publish the class information and schedule on their website. The applications will be made available beginning on April 1, 2019 for the first class and will follow in subsequent weeks for each additional class.
These classes are scheduled to begin on Thursday, May 9, 2019 (0900-1200 hours) and run for seven sessions, every two weeks. No Classes on July 4, 2019.
Courses:
Session 1 – May 9, 2019 0900-1200
Inspecting Fireworks Displays
Instructor: Fire Investigator Chris Wyman
Session 2 – May 23, 2019 0900-1200
Inspecting Electrical in Your Town – An Electrical Code Update and the Most Common Violations
Instructor: Kenneth Vallery, State Electrical Inspector (North)
Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, Division of Technical Professions OPLC
Session 3 – June 6, 2019 0900-1200
Inspecting Tents and Commercial Kitchens
Instructors: Fire Protection Specialist Tom Humphrey, District Chief Mike Matthy
Session 4 – June 20, 2019 0900-1200
Inspecting School Occupancies and Assembly Occupancies
Instructors: Fire Protection Specialist Tom Humphrey, District Chief Mike Matthy
Session 5 – July 11, 2019 0900-1200
Inspecting Oil Burners, Gas Lines, Gas Appliances and the Most Common Plumbing Violations
Instructors: Chief Mechanical Inspector Marc Prindiville, Mechanical Inspector Ron Lemere
Session 6 – July 25, 2019 0900-1200
Youth Firesetter and Rural Fire Prevention Programs
Instructors: Public Education Specialist Sheryl Nielsen, Fire Investigator Shana Clark
Session 7 – August 8, 2019 0900-1200
Fire Investigation for First Responders
Instructors: Fire Investigator Tony Booth, Fire Investigator Adam Fanjoy & K9 Anthem
Funeral Arrangements for Fire Captain Joel Barnes
BERWICK, Maine — Berwick Fire & Rescue Chief Dennis Plante and Town Manager Stephen G. Eldridge announce funeral, memorial service and burial arrangements for Berwick Fire Captain Joel Barnes.
Services and burial will take place on Sunday, March 10. There will be two services: A private family mass and a public memorial ceremony.
The family will attend a Catholic funeral mass, which will be said at a local church early in the morning. That service is only for family and is closed to the news media. The family has asked that their privacy be respected.
Memorial Service
The details of the public fire service memorial are as follows:
WHEN:
Sunday, March 10, 2018
11 a.m.
WHERE:
Cross Insurance Arena
1 Civic Center Square
Portland, ME 04101
Venue fee was partially waived by management, and the balance has been paid for by Teamsters Local 340, of which Berwick firefighters are members.
MEDIA LOGISTICS
Several thousand people are expected in attendance.
Media logistics, including parking, credentialing, and assigned location(s) in the Arena will be announced, likely tomorrow.
BURIAL
A procession of approximately two miles will follow to Cavalry Cemetery, where Captain Barnes will be buried with full fire department honors. The burial service is private for family members and the Berwick Fire Department.
ATTN. OUT OF TOWN FIREFIGHTERS
Logistics, including hotel accommodations, staging, and mustering of out of town firefighters is expected to be announced on Wednesday.
OUT OF TOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT ATTENDANCE FORM
PIPES AND DRUMS/COLOR GUARDS
Pipe bands with questions can also contact Dave McLean of the Professional Firefighters of New Hampshire Pipes and Drums: (603-661-1940 or macdfd@aol.com)
MUTUAL AID CONTINUES
Mutual aid station coverage for Berwick has been provided by ambulance companies and fire departments from across Maine and New Hampshire, and that assistance will continue through at least Sunday.
VIGIL CONTINUES
Firefighters have maintained their 24-hour constant vigil over the body of Captain Barnes, and that will continue uninterrupted until Sunday.
FUND ESTABLISHED
The family of Captain Barnes requests that any donations being made in his name go to the Berwick Volunteer Firefighters Association in his memory c/o Kennebunk Saving Bank, 2 School St., Berwick, ME 03901.
ADDITIONAL UPDATES
This is the latest of several updates that will be distributed as new information becomes available.
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Captain Barnes, age 32, was a paramedic and served as the Berwick Fire & Rescue training officer and emergency medical services coordinator. He previously worked for the Horry County, South Carolina Fire Rescue Department, South Berwick Rescue, York Ambulance and the Old Orchard Beach Fire Department before joining Berwick Fire in July 2016. He was also an active per diem firefighter for Town of Acton, Maine.
Captain Barnes died in a large apartment fire on Bell Street Friday, March 1. The origin and cause of the fire remain under investigation. Captain Barnes was leading another firefighter in an interior attack of the fire when conditions suddenly worsened.
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Reposted: Statement of the Town of Berwick
BERWICK, Maine — The Town of Berwick and the firefighting community in New England and beyond are collectively in mourning today after the line of duty death of Berwick Fire & Rescue Captain Joel Barnes, who died fighting a four-alarm fire that injured four other firefighters on Friday afternoon.
Captain Barnes, age 32, was a paramedic and served as the Berwick Fire & Rescue training officer and emergency medical services coordinator. He previously worked for South Berwick Rescue, York Ambulance and the Old Orchard Beach Fire Department before joining Berwick Fire in July 2016. He was also an active per diem firefighter for Town of Acton, Maine.
Captain Barnes died in a large apartment fire on Bell Street Friday. The origin and cause of the fire remain under investigation. An initial finding indicates that Captain Barnes was leading another firefighter in an interior attack of the fire when conditions suddenly worsened.
“Captain Barnes died a hero, battling a large and dangerous building fire. He made the ultimate sacrifice for his community,” said Berwick Fire Chief Dennis Plante.
Added Berwick Town Manager Stephen G. Eldridge: “Firefighters run toward danger and into places that everyone else is running away from. Captain Barnes lost his life saving others, while we honor him, we are struck with a profound sense of grief today. On behalf of the enter Berwick community, I wish to thank everyone for their offers of support and expressions of condolence.”
Saturday Procession
Captain Barnes’ body was taken to the medical examiners office in Concord, New Hampshire. It departed the medical examiner’s office at 1:30 p.m. Saturday bound for the Tasker Funeral Home in Dover. The captain’s body was escorted by Berwick Police and Fire, with firefighters and police officers from other agencies stationed in salute over major overpasses along Rt. 4.
The procession was joined by the Dover Fire Department as it reached the city limits.
Fund Established
The family of Captain Barnes requests that any donations being made in his name go to the Berwick Volunteer Firefighters Association in his memory c/o Kennebunk Saving Bank, 2 School St., Berwick, ME 03901.
Additional Updates
This is the first of several updates that will be distributed as new information becomes available. Funeral arrangements are still being finalized.
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