The Northern Berkshire Solid Waste Management District has announced collection dates and costs for this year. NBSWMD is s collaboration of a 14 member municipalities within Western Massachusetts providing information and resources pertaining to recycling with ultimate goal of preserving the planet.
The Saturday, June 20th collection of electronics, bulk waste and scrap metal will have all proceeds donated to our department. Clean up your old materials and help support us and the earth by dropping off your items at the former landfill, 242 East Rd. from 8AM to 12PM. Thank you!

     We have recently been hitting the social media feeds with requests for our residents to remember to clear the snow from around the hydrants in their neighborhood. We then had a work bee and spent a Saturday morning trying to visit as many hydrants as possible and to clear them if needed. With all that time spend dealing with hydrants we though we would take this opportunity to pass along some other tips and a bit of knowledge concerning these ubiquitous parts of the town's landscape that tend to blend into the background until they are urgently needed.
     When we post that hydrants should have the snow removed from an area of 3' around the entire hydrant. This is because part of an emergency response may involve what's called "wrapping" the hydrant. This is where a fire engine will stop at a hydrant, pull off some supply hose, wrap it 360 degrees or more around it and then move down the street to lay the hose out to the scene. To be able to do this, the firefighter needs clear access to the base of the hydrant all the way around it...hence why we ask people to remove the snow not just from the front, but from all around it.
     The next ask is for all seasons, snow or not. Please do not park in front of a hydrant. Not only is that a ticket-able offense, it again makes it near impossible for firefighters to access the hydrant in the event of an emergency.
     And finally. Perhaps you did notice that the district had begun painting hydrants different colors. This is not an aesthetic decision but rather one made to follow the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommendation for color coding fire hydrant tops by water flow (GPM - gallons per minute) for easy and universal recognition by firefighters. We added a helpful chart to make it easier to understand why the one in front of your house is that color and why they can't be arbitrarily painted to match a person's desire or taste in color.
     Thank you for helping us be able to effectively help you or your neighbor should an emergency occur.

As we all are dealing with the ramifications of our present reality of COVID-19 based restrictions, the Adams Fire Department is directing its members to courses offered at the UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute. The UL FSRI Fire Safety Academy is a special software application developed for the delivery, administration, documentation, tracking and reporting of educational materials developed to disseminate the research findings of the UL FSRI and ultimately increase the knowledge of the fire service. Topics include tactics, fire suppression, fire dynamics and firefighter safety.

The Fire Safety Academy is designed for the fire service, but registration is open to everyone, at no cost. To register, visit the Sign Up page, provide your name, a valid email address and password. A verification email will be automatically sent to the address provided. Once verified, this will become the USER NAME for accessing the Fire Safety Academy via the Sign In page.

The new courses are:

• Cardiovascular and Chemical Exposure Risks During Training
  
• Residential Attic and Exterior Fires
  
• Positive Pressure Attack
  
• Understanding and Fighting Basement Fires
  
• Firefighter Safety and Photovoltaic Systems
  
• Impact of Ventilation on Fire Patterns
  
• Impact of Horizontal Ventilation on Fire Behavior

​**IMPORTANT- The Fire Safety Academy allows department Training Officers to access and to track your training. During the sign up process you simply identify your department by Fire Department Identification Number or FDID# (Adams Fire Department 3004).

​As mentioned at an earlier monthly meeting, there is a free training opportunity for all members to participate in from the Emergency Responder Safety Institute. ​The Institute serves as an informal advisory panel of public safety leaders committed to reducing deaths and injuries to America's Emergency Responders. Through a special agreement with the Federal Highway Administration, the Responder Safety Learning Network (RSLN) offers a National TIM Training Certificate for registered users who complete ten specific RSLN online self-paced programs.

To earn credit for each program, you must view the program in its entirety and pass the Skills Challenge test. Once you earn credit for all ten programs, you will be able to download a special certificate that is the equivalent of completing the National Traffic Incident Management Responder Training Program.

​Soon the snow will be falling and mounting up and up and up...please remember to clean out those little yellow friends near your house or street corner, they are much happier if they do not have snow within 3 feet of them!....become part of the 2nd annual Hydrant Helper - fire hydrant snow clearing contest hosted by the Alert Hose Company and the Adams Fire Department. Thank you to AJ's Trailside Pub and Bounti-Fare Restaurant for the continued community support. Be safe and enjoy!....please share with friends and family.