Massachusetts Department of Fire Services

This is the time of year when more people start stepping outside to smoke. There's no truly safe way to smoke and the safest thing for your health is to quit -- but if you must smoke then do it responsibly. Never toss butts off a porch, balcony, or deck! Dry leaves and debris can easily catch fire and spread to your home and others nearby. Always use a heavy ashtray with water or sand and #PutItOut, #AllTheWay, #EveryTime!

#DFSJobs: Ready to share your knowledge and support the next generation of the fire service? The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy is recruiting to fill several open positions! Learn more and apply at https://ow.ly/c32g50VkUul (Flammable Gas Program), https://ow.ly/ssGJ50VkUuj (Hazardous Materials Program), or https://ow.ly/K8KN50VkUuk (Impact/Cancer Program). Scan the QR code to learn more about working at DFS!

DFS recently welcomed members of the Paraguayan military to discuss Massachusetts' response to last fall's unprecedented fire season. They're helping Paraguay confront their own wildfire crisis, so they heard from the experts at the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation's Bureau of Forest Fire Control & Forestry and the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts. Thank you to the Massachusetts National Guard for coordinating this productive meeting!

Today is #WorldWaterDay! Water is firefighters' oldest, most fundamental tool -- and the faster, the better! When a house fire broke out in an area without hydrants this week, the #GranbyMA Fire Department responded to find it contained and extinguished it by #HomeFireSprinklers, preventing serious property damage, injury, or worse. That's the #FastestWater! Read more: https://ow.ly/ibBN50Vmoxt

The third week in March is #PoisonPreventionWeek. Did you know that #CarbonMonoxide is one of the leading causes of accidental poisoning? You don't need to carry a special meter like this one to protect yourself and your loved ones -- but you do need working #CO alarms on every level of your home! Read more: https://lnkd.in/ep4CkGHG

The DFS #Hazmat Division's Technical Support Unit assists the five district teams on various special calls. Here, members are training with the Gas Chromatograph / Mass Spectrometer and Area RAE monitors, which can help them detect, identify, and take appropriate precautions for hazardous environments.

The investigation by the #GloucesterMA Fire Department, Gloucester PD, and Massachusetts State Police fire investigators assigned to the State Fire Marshal's office determined that two fires in a Gloucester supermarket last week were intentionally set. A suspect was charged today: https://ow.ly/JfyG50VlHsU

On this date 120 years ago, a boiler explosion at the Grover Shoe Factory claimed 58 lives and injured more than 100 in #BrocktonMA. This tragedy, and a similar event in #LynnMA, led Massachusetts to become the first state in the nation to regulate boilers and pressure vessels through the Board of Boiler Rules and its code. Today, the DFS Boiler & Pressure Vessel Program continues that vital public safety mission, conducting more than 60,000 inspections each year.

Join us in Worcester on 3/26/25 for a side-by-side #HomeFireSprinkler demonstration! Our trailer will be at Institute Park to show the power of the #FastestWater to protect people, pets, and property. See it in action a week from today with #WorcesterMA FD, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) New England Chapter, National Fire Sprinkler Association, and NFPA!

Last week, DFS welcomed our friends and neighbors from the Town of Stow, MA Recreation Department. About 25 youngsters toured the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, got a close-up look at the #Hazmat Division's Truck 22, viewed drone footage on an Incident Support Unit, took a break on Rehab 7, and watched K9 Starsky sniff out ignitable liquids with the Massachusetts State Police Fire Investigation Unit. Thanks for coming, and thanks to our staff -- especially Mr. White, Mr. Curran, Mr. Vecchio, Mr. Green, Mr. Benoit, and Trooper Belben -- for making it such a special day!