CHELMSFORD — Fire officials from three area towns met earlier this month to discuss how to handle fires in a rural area of South Chelmsford.
Since the location in question is near the Carlisle town line and shares a section of road with Westford, bringing all three departments to the table made sense.
Firefighters, including Chelmsford Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Houle and Captain Erik Byam, Carlisle Fire Chief Bryan Sorrows and Lieutenant Mark Gibson, as well as Westford Deputy Chief Matt Svatek, discussed alternative water supply options and coordinated response planning.
The group of experts met on Gage Lane and Northview Avenue — a long stretch of South Chelmsford without hydrants.
Carlisle currently relies on tanker trucks carrying thousands of feet of large-diameter hoses and other equipment to bring water to fight fires in rural areas of town.
This meeting built on outreach from Chelmsford to Carlisle, that began earlier this year in order to gain a better understanding of its capabilities
All agreed that options for alternative water supply sources cannot simply be dictated by geographical location or the size of area departments. Preparedness comes from planning and training together before an incident, not from assumptions about what a neighboring department can bring.
Tentative plans call for Chelmsford to lead the response, with Westford providing mutual aid and Carlisle being called in specifically to help with water supply, if needed.
All three fire departments plan a joint training drill to practice these strategies in case they’re ever needed during an actual emergency.
