Quincy 2 Alarm fire

Quincy Firefighters worked for over 2 hours to battle a blaze that initially broke out in the entry way of a duplex at 44 Penn St on Sunday Night. The fire had extended to the 3rd floor attick area from the entry way, sending flames shooting from side windows of the home. Due to overhead power lines, the use of a Ladder truck was impossible, limiting the firefighters to exterior oporations only.

Braintree Car into a building w/ Hazmat

     On Tuesday evening, just before 6pm, Braintree Fire and Police departments responded to a "Car into a building" call. Upon arrival, they found a new model Dodge Caliber resting on it's side after crashing through the front windows of Champion Cleaners at 1721 Washington St. The driver was pinned behind the wheel and firefighters had to use a power saw and the Jaws of Life to extricate the driver through a hole cut in the roof. It is unclear what kind of injuries the driver suffered at this time.
     While on the scene, firefighters and police officers noticed a smell of natural gas and ordered that Nation Grid respond ASAP. Gas was shut off as well as electricity to the building a short time later. The Department of Fire Services was called in to check on chemicals that spilled and mixed due to the impact. Shortly after their arrival, a Tier 2 Hazmat response was ordered, bringing in firefighters from across the eastern part of the state. A 2 man team in full Hazmat gear entered the building to take samples. Rt. 37(Washington St) in Braintree was closed for approximately 4 hours while Hazmat crews worked at the scene. Decontamination pools were set up along the road, and multiple emergency vehicles were parked along the road, prompting police to divert traffic.



3rd Alarm - Boston - 27 Melcher St

Took a quick ride out to the 3rd alarm on Melcher St in Boston. This building was the scene of a falling death a few weeks ago. A young woman fell 6 floors down a shaft to her death.

Remembering 9/11/01 Ten Years Later

    It was a beautiful Tuesday morning in 2001. I had just started my junior year at Braintree High School. I had just entered my third class of the day, Mr. Walsh's American Government class. As I sat there with my classmates, a teach entered the room with a concerned look on her face. After a brief, private conversation with Mr. Walsh, he immediately moved the television he had in class to the center of the room and turned it on. At that moment, just as the picture came up on the screen, the second plane struck 2 World Trade Center in New York City. There was a collective gasp from the class, and then silence. Nobody spoke, just sat there in utter amazement and disbelief. How could this be happening? What were we watching unfold? The rush of emotions that came over the class is indescribable.
    By now, word had spread throughout the entire school. Teachers were bringing students into Mr. Walsh's classroom to watch the news coverage, as he was one of the only teachers in the school with a live cable connection and television. I stayed in that classroom for over 2 hours, as my next class was next door and our teacher Mr. Flanagan had already brought his other class into the room.
    As we sat there, everything happened right in front of our eyes. The attack on the Pentagon, the collapse of both World Trade Center Towers, and the plane crash in Pennsylvania. We were watching the way we live our lives change with each passing minute. Life as we knew it would never be the same.
    Walking through the halls of Braintree High School, I noticed an eerie silence. Some students were talking with each other about what had happened, others kept to themselves. Some of our teachers wouldn't allow us to talk about what happened. Mr. Kay was one of those teachers. It wasn't until the next day that we were allowed to talk about it. Come to find out, a relative of Mr. Kay worked in the World Trade Center, however, hadn't gone to work that day and was safe at home.
    It was a day that has been etched into the memory of all Americans throughout the country. The events of September 11, 2001 are to my generation what the events of the Kennedy Assassination are to our parents. For as long as I live, I will carry the memory of that day in my mind, a memory so clear it's as though it happened yesterday. The images, the videos, the first hand accounts of responders to Ground Zero, will stay with me forever.
    The innocent victims that worked in the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. The heroes aboard Flight 93 that overtook the plane and crashed it into a field in Pennsylvania before it could make it to it's intended target. The Police, EMS, and firefighters who raced into the chaos as people were running for their lives. Their memories will live on forever.
    All of the troops overseas, those that have given their lives in the wake of 9/11, will be forever honored by the way I live my life, a life that they have fought and died for.

Never Forget

9/11/01 - 9/11/11

Boston Police Chase & Shooting

Just before 11:00am, Boston Police were engaged in a vehicle pursuit that started in Roxbury and ended at Exit 14 on Rt. 3 in Rockland, some 20 miles away. Plymouth County DA Timothy Cruz confirmed to media reporters that the suspect sustained a gunshot wound and later died at South Shore Hospital. The officer involved shooting is currently under investigation by the Mass State Police. Several police officers were taken to area hospitals for treatment of injuries sustained during the chase, or while responding to the chase. It has been confirmed that during the pursuit, the suspect rammed a police car in an attempt to evade capture.

Hurricane Irene

    Due to having to make sure that the WMSFirePhoto1 Compound was safe from Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene, I wasn't able to get out and capture the storm at it's peak, however, I ventured out a little later in the day and captured some damage photos around the south shore.
    Damage was extensive to one home in Holbrook when a massive tree collapsed onto the front of the home, crashing through the roof and narrowly missing a woman sitting in the living room. According to her son, she had been watching TV when she got up to go into the kitchen seconds before the tree came down. She was taken to the hospital and received 3 stitches in her head, and is expected to be ok. No other serious injuries were reported in the area due to the storm. Crews were out in full force during the storm, and clean up may take days. Electric companies have their hands full with power outages throughout the state, some areas not expected to have power until the weekend or even later.

Town St - Braintree

 Quincy St - Holbrook

 Spring St - Holbrook

 Spring St - Holbrook

 Bradford Rd - Braintree

Town St - Braintree

 West St - Braintree

 Overlook Rd - Quincy



2nd Alarm - Richardi Drive - Braintree

Braintree Fire responded to a reported house fire on Richardi Dr. A 2nd alarm was struck for manpower, as crews found heavy fire in the basement of the home. Crews from Randolph, Quincy, and Boston responded to the scene to assist.