Two young boys were rescued after their inflatable raft drifted offshore near the big bridge on Beach Road Monday, prompting a flurry of response from public safety officials.
Traci Monteith is afraid of heights but she loves depths. She’s been diving in Vineyard waters for more than 10 years, but only recently has she been working toward certification as an advanced diver on the Oak Bluffs fire department dive team. On a recent Thursday evening, she wet-suited up alongside two other members of the team for their first night dive.
An independent review of the Oak Bluffs fire department turned up a series of needed improvements, including better record keeping, clearer policies and procedures and improved communication between town and fire authorities.
A small gas leak at Church’s Pier in Oak Bluffs saw a quick response from the Oak Bluffs fire department on the afternoon of July 4.
Oak Bluffs fire chief Peter Forend received a call from the owner of Nancy’s restaurant at 4:14 p.m. reporting the leak. He said the leak originated from the holding tank at the fuel dock. The line was shut down immediately and foam was dispersed to prevent a fire hazard. A boom was placed in the water to contain the leak.
A small gas leak at Church’s Pier in Oak Bluffs saw a quick response from the Oak Bluffs fire department on the afternoon of July 4.
Oak Bluffs fire chief Peter Forend received a call from the owner of Nancy’s restaurant at 4:14 p.m. reporting the leak. He said the leak originated from the holding tank at the fuel dock. The line was shut down immediately and foam was dispersed to prevent a fire hazard. A boom was placed in the water to contain the leak.
The Oak Bluffs fireworks display, a cornerstone of Island summer every August, will be cancelled next year unless the town finds a way to continue the show, the selectmen said on Tuesday night.
Selectmen said the firemen’s association, which organizes and raises the money each year for the huge fireworks display over Ocean Park, had taken a vote on Sunday to discontinue the show next summer.
Selectman and board chairman Kathy Burton vowed that her board would “fix” the situation.
A year after his court-ordered reinstatement as fire investigator in Oak Bluffs, Peter Martell says the town is not honoring his position. Last June a Dukes County superior court judge found that Oak Bluffs fire chief Peter Forend had no legal or justifiable reason for dismissing Mr. Martell. In May a Dukes County superior court judge ordered the town to pay some $35,700 in attorney’s fees.
But Mr. Martell said the fire department has not made good on his reinstatement.
