Windham on verge of purchasing new fire rescue-pumper truck

If voters at Windham's annual town meeting approve a Fiscal
Year 2022 bond proposal next month, the town will order and
purchase a new an efficient E-One Rsecue-Pumper similar
to the one shown to replace two older fire department vehicles.
COURTESY PHOTO   

VEHICLE TO BE ORDERED IF VOTERS APPROVE BOND PROPOSAL IN JUNE 

By Ed Pierce

Should residents attending Windham’s annual town meeting on June 12 approve the town’s Fiscal Year 2022 bond proposal, firefighting in Windham is about to get much more efficient and safer with the purchase of a new E-One Rescue-Pumper.

Windham Fire Rescue Chief Brent Libby says that the new vehicle will cost $625,000 and will be ordered from Greenwood Emergency Vehicles, which won the Request for Proposals bidding for the new vehicle earlier this year.

Libby said $75,000 of the new fire truck’s cost was included in the fire department’s 2021 budget and the remaining $550,000 is included in Windham’s 2022 budget.

“This new vehicle will replace two trucks and turn them into one,” Libby said. “One of those trucks is a 2001 Heavy Rescue vehicle that we use as a squad truck. It’s really a toolbox on wheels and the Jaws of Life is stored in it. The other vehicle it will replace is a 1994 International Fire Engine.

According to Libby, once the new E-One Rescue-Pumper has been ordered, it takes one year for the company to build and deliver it to the town.

During a Windham Town Council meeting on May 11, councilors voted unanimously to include the new fire truck in the 2022 bond proposal to be voted on at the town meeting.

The E-One Rescue Pumper offers fire departments enhanced capabilities by featuring a large cab, the most available compartment space in the industry, 1,500 gallons per minute pump, a 1,000-gallon water tank, LED scene lighting, storage for hydraulics and battery powered extraction equipment, and seating for six firefighters.

“Right now, we’re responding to scenes with both vehicles and that takes drivers for both vehicles,” Libby said. “By putting all of the crew in one vehicle, it is much more efficient.”

The inclusion of state-of-the-art LED scene lighting will be a significant improvement over the existing lighting capability of the 1994 International Fire Engine, the fire chief said.

Once the new vehicle is delivered, Libby said that Windham firefighters will receive a minimum of four sessions of in-service training on the E-One Rescue-Pumper provided by Greenwood Emergency Vehicles. Windham crews also will receive additional training on driving a pumper truck and other aspects unique to the new truck.

Windham currently has three other E-One trucks which haven’t experienced any mechanical issues, but another E-One ladder truck was disposed of earlier this year because it had maintenance problems, Libby said.

Nonetheless, Libby said he expects this new E-One Rescue-Pumper to be free of maintenance issues and be put into service by Windham around July 2022.

“This will allow us to consolidate two vehicles into one,” Libby said. “This will help with maintenance and our operation. We’ll be able to put our crew into one truck with the equipment we need. I’m confident from an emergency standpoint and operationally this is the way to proceed.”

The E-One Rescue-Pumper is equipped with a custom chassis with an interior meant to withstand the rigors of severe duty. It has a Cummins L9 45-horsepowered engine and an Allison EVS-3000 transmission. The body is all stainless steel with internal storage for ladders and suction hoses. It includes 12-year paint and 20-year structural warranties.

The town plans to sell the vehicles being replaced to other fire departments in the state once the new E-One Rescue-Pumper is delivered and placed into service. The new truck also will fit inside the new Windham Public Safety Building, Libby said.

“It’s important that we have community support for this,” Libby said. “We are grateful and appreciate the support of the public that is there when we need them and likewise, we are there when the public needs us.” <   

Windham Fire Department grateful for Hovercraft donation

Lee's Family Trailer Sales and Service donated this
four-passenger Neoteric Hovercraft to the Windham Fire
Department. It will allow fire and  rescue crews to be better 
able to respond to emergencies on and around bodies of
water. COURTESY PHOTO, DANIEL CRAFFEY  

By Elizabeth Richards

In a community with an abundance of recreational water bodies, safety can be a top concern. Through the donation of a four-passenger Neoteric Hovercraft, the Windham Fire Department will be more able to respond to emergencies on and around these bodies of water.

Daniel Craffey, the owner of Lee’s Family Trailer Sales and Service in Windham, said that they received the vehicle as a trade in. While they initially considered reselling it, he said, after looking online and seeing that it could be used for ice rescues, they quickly decided to donate it to the fire department instead.

This isn’t the first time that the company has donated a valuable resource to the community’s public safety personnel. They’ve also rebuilt a trailer, free of charge, for the police department.

“We’ve got some great employees here and they all live in the area,” Craffey said. “Windham’s been a great place to do business and we like to do stuff like that.”

The business has grown substantially, Craffey said, since he took over in 2017. “We’re doing really well here, and we want to pass it on,” he said.

A hovercraft vehicle is a machine that can operate on land, water, and even broken-up ice. A fan forces air under the machine, lifting it to float up to 9 inches above the surface on a cushion of air, according to the Neoteric website.

Windham Fire Chief Brent Libby said that until last year, the department hadn’t had a marine resource for several years. Last year, the department partnered with the Maine Forest Service, housing a 16-foot aluminum boat in return for access to that boat.

The hovercraft, he said, provides an additional marine resource that will be useful not only on open water, but especially on ice. Currently, if an incident occurs on the ice, the department would either need to get an airboat from the warden service or walk out in their gear, which could take a significant amount of time to reach someone in need of assistance.

Because a hovercraft is a specialized machine, training is required to operate it safely. Libby said that the department has reached out to Neoteric and are coordinating with them to have a representative come and do in-service training.

Libby said that the purchase of a hovercraft probably wouldn’t have been a direction the department went. Before partnering with the Forest Service, the department’s capital plan included acquisition of a boat.

“It’s maybe not something we would have gone for normally, but it will certainly be a huge asset to the community and the marine areas we have,” he said.  “It will take us a bit of time to get trained and comfortable with its operation, especially to function in emergency response, but it certainly will fill a void for us and I’m sure for our neighboring communities as well.”

According to Libby, area departments rely on each other for support, equipment and personnel in any major incident.

“This will just be another tool in that toolbox for all of us to have access to and utilize,” he said.

While they haven’t run the hovercraft yet to see what it can do, Libby said, the previous owner had used it on mud flats. The Windham fire department also reached out to other departments in the country to be sure it would be helpful for emergency response.

“Those agencies we spoke with have found it beneficial as well. We extend our appreciation and thanks to Lee’s Family Trailer for thinking of us, when they came across the piece of equipment, and recognizing that it might be helpful to us and the community,” Libby said. “We certainly appreciate that and their generosity in donating it to us.” <

Firefighter takes the plunge for your safety

By Lorraine Glowczak

Windham Firefighter and Paramedic, Tony Cataldi, was among 21 instructor candidates to become a certified Ice Rescue Instructor at the 20^th annual International Ice Rescue Instructor Academy with classroom training held in South Portland and hands-on instruction at Wassamki Springs Campground in Scarborough.

Tony Cataldi

Cataldi, who has been a certified ice rescue technician for the past 10 years, spent four days from Thursday, February 21 to Sunday, February 24 with other instructor candidates representing fire departments from New York, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and Canada. In those four days, which often lasted late into the evening, the students worked in the classroom practicing their teaching skills and spent time outdoors to perform practical skills on the ice. They used everything from specialized equipment to real life circumstances such as using inanimate objects as unconscious victims.

“We also participated in a mock emergency call that occurred at night,” explained Cataldi. “We received the call that a snowmobile with two people and a dog were missing on the lake.” Cataldi further explained how the firefighters worked together to search for the victims. “We walked out on the frozen water together in a 600-foot line with all of us attached to a rope. The scene was set up for us and we looked for footprints and snowmobile tracks. We found the victims on the back side of an island.”

Cataldi stated that the most important thing they learned is that no ice is safe ice. Other important factors realized and advocated for include:

1. You need at least 5” of new, clear, hard ice before venturing out.  And, just because the ice is 5” at one section, it doesn’t mean it is not compromised elsewhere.

2. Consider wearing a float coat or a lifejacket if going out onto the ice in deep water.

3. Carry a pealess plastic whistle to alert others in the event of an emergency.

4. Also carry ice picks which can be used in the event you fall through to pick your way out of the
water and back onto solid ice.

5. Keep dogs and pets off the ice and under control.  Many incidents are triggered by an animal going through the ice and the humans then put their own lives at risk in an effort to save them.

6. And, in the event of an emergency, CALL 911, and only attempt to rescue someone from the safety of the shore by reaching, extending, or throwing something to the victim.

When it comes to rescuing a victim, Cataldi stated that the rescuer’s safety must come first. “If we become a part of the problem, we must rescue ourselves; otherwise, we will be of no use to the victim.”

The training program Cataldi attended, Lifesaving Resources, meets and exceeds NFPA (National

The Instructor Training program included hands-on experiences

Fire Protection Association) 1670 and 1006 Standards for Technical Rescue. To date, the program has trained over 400 water or ice rescue instructors from throughout the U.S. and Canada and Cataldi is now one of them. He will already begin instructing other firefighters and paramedics this week.

Cataldi will not only teach in Maine but is also certified to teach in other areas of the country.

Of all the important things Cataldi learned, perhaps the way the instructor candidates worked together meant the most. “We worked very well together,” he stated, referring to the mock rescue scene as part of their program. “It proves that different municipalities can work together when needed.”

Cataldi also had this to say about becoming a certified Ice Rescue Instructor. “Windham takes pride in keeping up to date for the latest techniques for rescue in order to provide the best service for Windham and surrounding communities.”

Congratulations, Tony Cataldi. The communities thank you.

Windham Fire and Rescue's Santa Run helps five families - By Michelle Libby

With trucks covered in Christmas lights, sirens blaring and Santa on board, fire fighters led by Lt. Garvin “Chip” Jones pulled up to five different homes to deliver gifts, food and gift certificates to brighten the holiday for five single parents and their families last Sunday. The five families were chosen by the Windham Food Pantry and the fire department collected around 250 gifts from area businesses to help with the Santa Run. 

The weather cooperated as three trucks, close to 50 people and one Santa delivered presents from one end of Windham to the other.

“It went really well,” said Jones. Each family received a box filled with food, an envelope of gift cards from area businesses to use for themselves or their kids, and gifts already wrapped to go under the tree. 

“The first family was just blown away. They had even made cookies for Santa,” Jones said. Although the parent knew they were getting a visit, they didn’t realize until the trucks arrived how elaborate it would be. “The trucks looked gorgeous. They didn’t think it was going to be this extravagent,” he added. “The kids were in awe of Santa.” 

The second and third families were equally blown away. “They couldn’t believe the amount of stuff coming into their house,” Jones said. 

Getting ready for the Sunday night event took a full month of planning and lots of help from the community.  Saturday night two dozen people wrapped gifts. On Sunday, dozens of people including students who live and work in the fire stations, decorated Haz Mat 2, Engine 5 and the Haz Mat Rehab Bus, which took them many hours. There were around 4,000 lights on Engine 5 and between 5,000 and 6,000 lights on the Haz Mat trucks. 

Gifts were donated by employees at Dominos and waitstaff at Buck’s Naked BBQ. Between 35 and 40 businesses donated as well. Cash donations were turned into gift certificates for local businesses like Renys, Marshalls and restaurants in town. Even Sunday morning, items were trickling in to be delivered that night. 

“It’s a great time,” said Jones, who had been doing something like this since he lived in New Jersey. In Maine he’s been in charge of the Santa Run for six years. “Every year I build on it. We started with two families, then three and four families. This year we did five families,” he said. 

One parent told Jones that she bought her daughter a jacket around Thanksgiving and that was all she was getting for Christmas. He was glad that wasn’t going to happen now. 

“Usually they’re single parents with one or two kids who work one or two jobs and barely are keeping the heat and lights on,” Jones said. “It’s just a big gratification. That’s why I keep on doing it.” 

Jones is thankful for all the support the Santa Run gets from the community, especially the following businesses: Hannaford, Marshalls, Man Cave Hair Lounge, Smitty's Cinema, Reny's, Friendly's, Bucks Naked BBQ, The Nail Spa, Cleaning Genies, Domino's, Applebee's, Pizza Hut, Benny's Barbershop, Windham Jewelers, Auto Zone, Bull Moose, U.S. Cellular, Shaw's, Pet Life, Advanced Auto, DQ, Rustler's Steakhouse, G & K Motors, Hall Implement, Little Caesars, Windham Primary School, Danielle's Sebago Café, Mr. Bagels, McDonald's and Hair Gone Wild. Special thanks to Dena's Lobsterhouse, comedian Crazy Jake and Atienza & Chebuske Dentistry as well as the private donations dropped off by the public, members and families of the Windham Fire/Rescue and Gorham/Windham Professional Fire Fighters Association and Santa Claus.

Windham celebrates annual tree lighting ceremony - By Stephen Signor

Last Sunday droves of citizens made their way to the Windham Public Safety Building where for the second year Windham held its second annual tree lighting ceremony. According to the stretch of vehicles parked along both sides of Gray Road, it was evident that this year surpassed the previous attendance. 

 

The activities began at 5 p.m. with caroling, compliments of Windham Primary School music teacher Nancy Cash-Cobb, who led the third grade chorus in numerous popular Christmas carols much to the crowd’s approval, while they waited for that magical moment when the tree would come to life.

“Cash-Cobb has been teaching at the Primary School many, many years. Some of these adults probably had her as a teacher from what I understand,” said parks and recreation director Linda Brooks. 

“We had a great time and were honored to be asked back again. The students looked forward to the opportunity and were very excited. I am proud of the way they sang and their stage presence. The Windham recreation department and library did a fabulous job with crafts, goodies, hot chocolate and, of course, Santa,” commented Cash-Cobb.

Meanwhile, inside the safety building people had also gathered to enjoy refreshments and for a bit of warmth complete with plenty of conversation, much of which took place in the long line of children waiting to visit with Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus. 

Outside, the holiday music continued to play via a sound system following the lighting of the tree. In the background, a decorated fire truck attracted all ages. But while every year these fire trucks are decked out with wreaths, donated by Staples Farm, this year introduced the presence of the South Windham Fire Department Emergency Response Truck. Its arrival was timely and difficult to miss, as department members had cleverly decorated it with colorful lights to mimic what appeared to be a sleigh and was carrying the Claus family. 

Amy Carter, wife of Windham fire rescue captain Alfred Carter was also there helping out and shared, “This is much more successful than last year. Approximately 300 showed up then and we didn’t expect that, so we didn’t know what to expect. So this year we prepared and planned a little bit more. This year there is more decorations, more food and crafts for the kids.” One of the crafts and most popular was a marshmallow challenge where the object was to build the tallest free standing tower. The food pantry was also there taking donations for families in town. “It’s awesome! It’s been great,” continued Carter. 

The hope was for this year’s annual lighting was to make this a bigger and better event. It came to fruition as an estimated 400 to 500 people attended and next year promises to be even more successful.

Windham Public Safety Day deemed a success - By Stephen Signor

Last Saturday safety conscious residents flocked to the Windham Public Safety building to celebrate National Safety Day. With a combined effort from AARP, Windham Police Department, Windham Fire and Rescue Department, activities that promoted safety and education were set up around the property.
 

Among the activities was a K9 demonstration in which Windham Police Dog Vader was on hand to show off his prowess in locating unseen items for retrieval. Vader is a 3-year-old black shepherd that has been trained for numerous police responsibilities. Handler and Officer Steve Stubbs gave an entertaining and informative demonstration. Vader’s actions provided spectators a glimpse of how voice commands play an important role in catching law breakers and finding illegal items that may have been tossed out a vehicle for example. With the assistance of DARE Officer Matt Cyr, Vader also demonstrated the art of attacking and subduing criminals.

Appropriately, the Dalmatian Fire Mascot appeared as did Daren-the-Lion, the mascot for DARE.

The DARE program is taught in the fifth and seventh grades at RSU14. The program is run by Officer Matt Cyr. “Measuring prevention is one of the most difficult things that we do in law enforcement. If someone were to ask me if as a stand-alone [DARE] was the answer, I would look them straight in the eye and say absolutely not,” Cyr said. Has it been successful? “I’ve talked to law enforcement outside our state and they say wow! I can’t believe what you guys are doing. You are the model to follow.” He also expressed, “Windham is fortunate to have what we have. It is a great community. Support for programs such as this comes from all levels within the community. This is not just Windham, it includes Raymond.” 

The take-back prescription drug booth was available for accepting old or unused prescription drugs. A collection area was also in the lobby of the public safety building with high hopes to match last year’s success. 

“The drug take-back has been a very popular program. That collection yielded 12 to 15 boxes or roughly two tons,” explained Windham Detective Eugene Gallant. Collection is not limited to just these types of events. There is a box in the lobby of the public safety building available for drop off every day during business hours. 

“In such a gathering as this where large amounts are involved, it is moved into the evidence cage for security,” stated Gallant. Disposal is usually done by the DEA, however that can change. “The last time there was so much; Officer Cyr and I took the drugs to EcoMaine. They have a secure facility and we had to be present to witness the actual destruction after which we signed off on an official certificate,” said Gallant.

Safety has many faces and The Yellow Dot Program recognizes those of senior citizens. While this program is not specific to them, it is the largest group of users. Originating from Alabama it was developed to aid citizens and first responders in the event of an automobile accident or other medical emergency involving a participant’s vehicle. It was initiated by the Gorham-Windham-Westbrook Triad and with the help of sponsorships the word has gotten out. “It has been here locally for five years and is made up of local law enforcement agencies, businesses and seniors,” said Buffy Houp, who is involved with the program. “Yellow Dot is currently in 30 states and our goal is to get it state-wide here. Our mission is to minimize victimization of seniors in our community,” she continued.

Thanks to the donation by AARP, a Records Management Center truck was offering free document shredding adjacent to the public safety building. The driveway of the Family Resource Center/Food Pantry served as the dropping off point where boxes upon boxes were reduced to shreds protecting the citizens from identity theft. 

Further information on the participating programs, visit www.dare.com, www.rmcmaine.com, www.yellowdotme.org, and local.aarp.org/Portland-me.