Fire Fighting

Fire Suppression

Waltham Fire Dept. Logo

Simply put and as our name indicates, one major mission in of the Waltham Fire Department is to put out fires. Our top priority is always protecting life - getting people out to safety.  Next is protecting property, which can involve protecting exposures to prevent fire spread, containing fires to small areas and finally extinguishing the fire. While these basic tasks have not changed much through the years, the kinds of fires we fight and the dangers we face have changed dramatically.  The fires we fight can be broken down into the following categories:

  • Residential Fires
    These incidents involve single-family and multi-family homes, as well as, dormitory, apartment and residential complexes.  Today's homes are better insulated which means fires burn hotter and can spread more quickly.  Smoke detectors and 911 have both helped to catch fires earlier and get us there more quickly.  However, this means fire fighters are often arriving at earlier stages in the fire cycle and can become victims of backdraft or flashover. Also, plastics and composite materials in modern homes combine to produce toxic fumes that can be more harmful than in years past.



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  • Commerical Fires
    Waltham is a diverse community which also contains commercial properties. These structures vary in size, type, and construction.  Typical commerical buildings range from small convenience stores and older factory-mill buildings to large corporations and modern office parks. The highly publicized 1999 Worcester Fire illustrated some of dangers that a commerical building can pose. However, each building varies in its commerical usage and presents its own set of dangers. Some of these dangers include chemical storage, biohazards, radioactive materials and the building's construction itself. We strive to familiarize ourselves with every commercial property in Waltham through our annual inspections.  Although inspections and fire preplanning are extremely valuable they cannot completely eliminate the occurrence of a fire in a commercial structure.  Periodically, these fires can and do occur.



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  • Vehicle Fires
    With more and more vehicles on the road, we find ourselves fighting a greater number of vehicle fires.  These incidents can occur virtually anywhere - from driveways and garages to side streets or highways. Under fire conditions, oils and greases can combine with plastics and composite materials in today's cars and trucks to produce dangerous toxic fumes. Additionally, air bags and shock absorbent pistons in front and rear bumpers present further dangers to fire fighters trying to extinguish these blazes. Hazardous cargo can also be found in these vehicles. 



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  • Brush-Wildland Fires
    Although Waltham is mainly a heavily populated city, it still retains some large wooded areas such as Prospect Hill and the trails surrounding the Paine Estate.  These areas can present fire hazards during hot, dry or windy weather. Fires in wooded areas fueled by strong winds could  destroy this precious wildland and spread quickly to nearby homes if not for quick action by fire fighters.



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  • Trash-Dumpster Fires 
    Its not just "a dumpster fire."  Any fire has the potential to cause serious property damage and could result in injury to fire fighters and the public at large.  All to often the contents of a trash-dumpster fire are unknown to responding fire companies.  Hazardous materials, general house hold chemicals, plastics and ordinary combustibles may combine in these fire situations making fire suppression a difficult task.



Fire Fighting Tactics
Each fire company serves a specific purpose on the fire ground.

  • Engine Company Operations:
  • Ladder Company Operations:
  • Rescue Squad Operations:

 

Fire Fighting

Emergency Medical Services (E.M.S.)

Technical RescueWater & Ice Rescue

Hazardous Materials Response (HazMat)

 

Electrical EmergenciesGas Leaks & Carbon Monoxide (CO)Flood ResponseAnimal ProblemsInspections