8984-R2_NewGloucester_2023-2024_AnnualReport_Web

Mutual Aid continues to be an important part of our operation. Aid in and Aid out continues to grow, with our members providing mutual aid 79 times, while receiving mutual aid 81 times. Some of our mutual aid is what we re fer to as automatic aid. Due to necessary manpower at different emergen cies, our surrounding communities have automatic aid agreements. The most common example of this agreement is a response to a building fire, which brings a mutual aid ladder truck, engine, and tanker to supplement our response. This model is mutually beneficial as it gives the 911 caller adequate resources in a timely manner. Significant Calls We responded to many significant calls in FY 24. In October, 2023, we responded to the mass casualty event in Lewiston. Our response included 12 total members: 1 to the scene, 7 to staging, and 4 to cover our station. Of these 12 members, 5 were paramedics. In December, 2023, we responded to a home explosion on Intervale Road. This explosion unfortunately resulted in a civilian fatality prior to our arrival. Our response included 14 members. We had two wilderness rescue calls in FY 24, one in December, 2023 and another in March, 2024. Due to our UTV being permanently out of service, both of these calls resulted in delays in removing the patient while waiting for mutual aid to respond. Both calls resulted in the transport of the patient to the hospital. Significant fire calls in FY 24 included an All-Hands Fire on Shaker Road in November, 2023. This fire was a well involved garage fire with exposure to a home. Quick decision making by the first arriving engine resulted in the saving the family’s home and allowing them to stay there that night. In March, 2024, we had a 2 nd alarm fire on Bryant Road. Due to advanced fire conditions on arrival and poor water supply in the area, the home was a total loss. There were no injuries. Later that month, members worked for 4 hours at a 2nd alarm fire in Gray. NGFR members were able to stop the fire from spreading to the house due to dry weather conditions. NGFR crews handled a 3.5-acre woods fire off of Brookside Drive in April, 2024 This fire threatened multiple exposures and we had a total of 18 members respond. On May 10, 2024, members responded to Poland for an all-hands fire and to Durham for a 4-alarm fire in the same day. Later that month, members also responded to Gray for multiple buildings on fire on Little Sebago Lake. In June, 2024, NGFR made a quick stop of a fire in the walls on Cobbs Bridge Road. They also responded to Auburn for a 2nd alarm building fire, working for two hours.

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