News>Westover fire department assists in tornado response
Photos
A firefighter from Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass., sifts through the rubble of a home in Monson, Mass., June 2, 2011. Volunteers from the base responded to a community mutual agreement to search for survivors after two tornadoes the day before left widespread damage in 19 communities across the area. (Courtesy photo/Capt. Robert Mancini)
Firefighters from Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass., walk through a community in Monson, Mass., June 2, 2011. They responded to a community mutual agreement to search for survivors after two tornadoes the day before left widespread damage in 19 communities across the area. (Courtesy photo/Capt. Robert Mancini)
A home in Monson, Mass., shows the aftermath of a tornado that ripped through the area June 1, 2011. Firefighters from Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass., performed search and rescue the next day in Monson after two tornadoes left widespread damage in 19 communities across the area. (Courtesy photo/Capt. Robert Mancini)
Buildings in Monson, Mass., show the aftermath of a tornado that ripped through the area June 1, 2011. Firefighters from Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass., performed search and rescue the next day in Monson after two tornadoes left widespread damage in 19 communities across the area. (Courtesy photo/Capt. Robert Mancini)
A house in Monson, Mass., shows the aftermath of a tornado that ripped through the area June 1, 2011. Firefighters from Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass., performed search and rescue the next day in Monson after two tornadoes left widespread damage in 19 communities across the area. (Courtesy photo/Capt. Robert Mancini)
A house in Monson, Mass., shows the aftermath of a tornado that ripped through the area June 1, 2011. Firefighters from Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass., performed search and rescue the next day in Monson after two tornadoes left widespread damage in 19 communities across the area. (Courtesy photo/Capt. Robert Mancini)
Residents of Monson, Mass., walk through their neighborhood after a tornado that ripped through the area June 1, 2011. Firefighters from Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass., performed search and rescue the next day in Monson after two tornadoes left widespread damage in 19 communities across the area. (Courtesy photo/Capt. Robert Mancini)
A home and belongings in Monson, Mass., show the aftermath of a tornado that ripped through the area June 1, 2011. Firefighters from Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass., performed search and rescue the next day in Monson after two tornadoes left widespread damage in 19 communities across the area. (Courtesy photo/Capt. Robert Mancini)
by Lt. Col. James Bishop and 2nd Lt. Andre Bowser
439th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
6/7/2011 - WESTOVER AIR RESERVE BASE, Mass. -- Westover's fire department responded to a mutual aid call at 7:29 p.m. June 1 after tornadoes left widespread damage in 19 communities in central and western Massachusetts.
The initial request was for a specialized rescue unit and one officer for an incident management team.
"Our response is based on a mutual aid agreement between Westover and 40 neighboring towns," said Col. Robert Swain Jr., commander of Westover's 439th Airlift Wing. "We're always glad to help. This is part of being a good neighbor."
Westover responded with four firefighters and one fire chief. Westover Fire Chief Charles Van Gorden went to the area command center in Palmer, Mass., to coordinate emergency resources.
The firefighters were initially dispatched to Palmer but then were re-directed to West Springfield to help with a damaged nursing home. They assisted in search-and-rescue efforts in several areas throughout the night and performed a victim extraction from a damaged minivan.
Chief Van Gorden and the rescue team of Capt. Robert Guthrie and firefighters David Wilkinson, Nicholas Bush and Mark Litchfield worked until 3:30 a.m. June 2.
Captain Guthrie said one thing was on his mind during the rescue operation: "Getting us out there in one piece."
He said traversing a windy and dangerous terrain made his job difficult.
"You couldn't see; it was bad," Captain Guthrie said about his team responding to multiple locations during the worst of the storms, usually heading in the opposite direction of fleeing motorists
Chief Van Gorden returned to the area command center at 7 a.m. June 2 to coordinate rescue-and-recovery efforts.
Four new firefighters from Westover reported to the staging area at the same time. Capt. Robert Mancini, and firefighters Kenneth McMorris Jr., Roy Cooley and Shawn Martin were told to go to Monson, Mass., to help with a grid search for trapped residents. Their primary focus was accounting for all townspeople and ensuring all homes damaged by the tornado were clear and safe.
Westover firefighters, who specialize in battling flight line blazes, are no strangers to responding to structure fires off base.
In March, they helped fight a fire in a Chicopee factory. Last August they responded to a fire in Holyoke in which three municipal firefighters were injured.
