Norton Fire Log: Jan. 29 - Feb. 4

An abbreviated version of the Norton Fire Department.

Thursday, Jan. 29 1:32 p.m.: 394 Old Colony Road, municipal alarm sounded.   3:04 p.m.: 80 Leonard St., EMS call, excluding motor vehicle accident with injury. 3:21 p.m.: 12 Sunset Road, inspection. Friday, Jan. 30 5:56 a.m.: 43 Barrows St., carbon monoxide incident. 7:25 a.m.: 65 Godfrey Drive, EMS call, excluding motor vehicle accident with injury. 7:33 a.m.: 190 Mansfield Ave., EMS call, excluding motor vehicle accident with injury. 9:22 a.m.: 52 Oak St., brush fire. 2:13 p.m.: 11 Robin Circle, power line down. 3:38 p.m.: 55 Newland St., gasoline or other flammable liquid spill. Saturday, Jan. 31 12:08 a.m.: 17 Pine St., municipal alarm sounded.   9:05 a.m.: 238 W. Main St., motor vehicle accident. 12:04 p.m.: 1 Howard St., municipal …

• Photos (1)

Norton, Area Fire Departments, Dive to Save Lives

Attleboro Fire Department has joined a regional dive team.

Four Attleboro firefighters have suited up and are making a splash as new participants of a regional dive team that also includes the towns of Easton, Norton and North Attleboro. Firefighters Dave Ventura, John Casali, Mike Maitland and Greg Luther, all who have open water certification, have joined the regional team. They recently trained with some of their neighboring firefighters at Attleboro High School's pool and Talaquega Lake. The decision to include Attleboro in the regional effort came after North Attleboro Fire Chief Peter Lamb asked Attleboro Chief Scott Lachance to use the pool at Attleboro High School for training. Lamb then called Lachance on another occasion to use a room at the South Attleboro station for classroom training…

• Photos (8)

More Firefighters May Not Mean Less Overtime

Overtime problem is more a contractual issue than a staffing one.

Norton selectmen got upset Thursday night about the fire department spending almost three-quarters of a million dollars on overtime in the last fiscal year. That’s more than double what Attleboro spent, according to the Sun Chronicle. Good for selectmen – but isn’t it just a little late to be realizing this? You have to hope this wasn’t news, that the board knew long before last week the overtime account in the town’s second largest operating budget was seriously overspent. If it really was a surprise, then shame on selectmen for being seriously uninformed on a matter of major financial and public safety concern. Chairman Brad Bramwell suggested selectmen should perhaps have department heads update them on their budgets during the year.  …

• Photos (1)

Norton Fire Log: May 4 – 15

An abridged version of the Norton Fire Department fire log.

Norton Fire Department responded to the following calls between Wednesday, May 4 and Sunday, May 15. This is an abridged version of the fire log. Wednesday, May 4 9:30 a.m.: 399 Old Colony Road, general inspection. Passed. 9:32 a.m.: 377 Old Colony Road, general inspection. Passed. 9:50 a.m.: 153 W. Main St., general inspection. Passed. 2:18 p.m.: 495 South, Mansfield, vehicle fire extinguished. 4:10 p.m.: 114 Oak St., EMS call excluding motor vehicle accident with injury. Transported to Sturdy Memorial. 4:41 p.m.: 377 Old Colony Road, EMS call excluding motor vehicle accident with injury. Transported to Sturdy Memorial.   Thursday, May 5 8:54 a.m.: 280 Taunton Ave., general inspection. Passed. 9:13 a.m.: 15 Dean St., EMS call excluding …

• Photos (1)

AN INSIDE LOOK

Fire Union Wants Selectmen To Follow Charter

Firefighters have valid complaint, but selectmen say they have done nothing wrong.

Selectmen and the town’s firefighters’ union are at odds over negotiations on a new contract. That is nothing new. What is unusual is the reason the union is complaining has nothing to do with salary, benefits or working conditions. Union president Richard Medeiros says selectmen are violating the town charter by refusing to negotiate in person. Selectmen have been sending their attorney and the Town Manager to negotiating sessions, and say they have no intention of changing that. This is a break from past practice, when at least two selectmen sat in on negotiations. And they sat in for good reason. The Town Charter clearly and unambiguously states two selectmen “shall attend and participate with the town manager” in all collective …

• Photos (1)

A Hero's Welcome for Taunton Man

Fire Chief, Board of Selectmen honor Ed Johansen for quick thinking after accident.

Taunton resident Ed Johansen leaped into action on the afternoon of Feb. 28th, dodging live electrical wires and oncoming traffic on Taunton Avenue to save the life of a man who had driven off the road right ahead of him. Thursday, Norton Fire Chief Richard Gomes brought that act of heroism to the attention of the town, awarding Johansen a Citizen Life Saver award in front of an audience of his family and friends, the man whose life he saved, and  members of the fire department. Gomes explained that the accident, where Taunton resident Thomas Costa had a heart attack, drove off the road, and hit a utility pole, involved only the single vehicle, but was a serious medical emergency. Johansen came upon the accident shortly after it occurred…

• Photos (1)

Taunton Man to be Awarded by Norton Fire Department

Citizen CPR saves motorist.

Norton Fire Department will be presenting a Citizen Life Saver Award to Edward Johansen, of Taunton, who was first to stop at a motor vehicle accident in February and provided bystander cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The award will be given to Johansen at this week's Board of Selectmen meeting 7 p.m. Thursday, April 14. The man who was saved by Johansen's actions is also scheduled to be in attendance.

• Photos (1)

Norton Fire Log: March 21 - 23

An abridged version of the fire log.

Norton Fire Department responded to 15 reports between Monday, March 21 and Wednesday, March 23. The majority of reports were EMS calls. This is an abbreviated version of the fire log. Monday, March 21 7:51 a.m.: Crane Street, EMS call excluding motor vehicle accident with injury. 11:22 a.m.: Filmore Drive, odor of smoke. Electrical wiring problem. 1:46 p.m.: Commerce Way, municipal alarm investigated. 2:25 p.m.: Dean Street, unauthorized burning. 4:20 p.m.: Mansfield Avenue, EMS call excluding motor vehicle accident with injury. Transported to Sturdy Memorial. 8:01 p.m.: E. Main Street, motor vehicle accident.   Tuesday, March 22 6:34 a.m.: Dearborn Drive, EMS call excluding motor vehicle accident with injury. Transported to Sturdy …

• Photos (1)

Norton Fire Assists Easton in Three-Alarm Blaze

Nearly two months after the roof of Edwards Movers partially collapsed, the entire building burned down while workers attempted to move supplies out of the building.

In what has been a difficult two months for Wayne Edwards, the owner of Edwards Movers Company just off Washington Street on route 138, he saw his building burn to the ground Friday in a three-alarm fire that sent more than 10 fire departments, including Norton, to the Easton location. The building suffered a partial collapse on Feb. 3 as a result of accumulated snow on the roof. Easton Fire Chief Tom Stone said workers were busy moving supplies out of the building when the building was engulfed with flames. He said the use of fork lifts and cutting torches could have sparked the fire. "It’s still under investigation but the initial reports we got were that there were crews working inside the building as part of the operation to clear out …

• Photos (39)

Norton Fire Log: March 10 - 21

An abbreviated version of the fire log.

Norton Fire Department responded to 89 reports between Thursday, March 10 and Monday, March 21. One of the more notable items was a rollover at exit 10 on Route 495 North. This is an abridged version of the fire log. Thursday, March 10 8:14 a.m.: Mansfield Avenue, municipal alarm sounded. 10:04 a.m.: Winnecunnet Drive, inspection. Passed. 1:02 p.m.: E. Main Street, municipal alarm investigated. 1:34 p.m.: Newcomb Street, inspection. Passed. 1:46 p.m.: Freeman Street, inspection. Passed. 2:33 p.m.: Sanlin Street, oil burner inspection. Passed. 2:39 p.m.: W. Main Street, EMS call excluding motor vehicle accident with injury. 2:47 p.m.: Keith Drive, EMS call excluding motor vehicle accident with injury. Transported to Sturdy Memorial. 2:48 p.…

• Photos (1)