By Brad Spiegel
A not-so-routine emergency call on October 19 became routine thanks to the Wayland Fire Department having members of its crew also part of Massachusetts Fire District 14.
District 14, which Wayland has been a member for more than a decade, is a cooperative group of 23 area fire departments that provides technical emergency services and training that local departments may not have the personnel, budget or equipment to do so.
Around 2 p.m. a call for a man in Old Wayland Reservoir came in. Fire and Police arrived on the scene within minutes to find a 63-year-old who had fallen out of his kayak about 200 feet from shore.
Among those dispatched were Dan Buentello and Tim Oxley, part of the District 14 dive team, and Mitch Mabardy, on the engine and a member of the District 14 technical rescue team. Buentello and Oxley donned their specialized water suits and made their way out in the cold water to rescue the man who was having trouble staying afloat. He did not have a life jacket with him.
The victim was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital and was released the next day.
Wayland Fire Chief Neil McPherson said the rescue wasn’t overly tricky, but having staff who are trained for such emergencies is an added bonus for the department.
“I am not saying we wouldn’t have been able to rescue (the victim) without the District 14 members but with their expertise it makes a big difference,” he said. “We
were fortunate that we had a number of specialists on duty. That made this a seamless rescue. It is not something we do every day.”
The 23 departments pay dues and provide personnel to be part of District 14. Wayland has three on the dive team, two on the technical rescue team, two on fire investigation, and McPherson is part of the district assistance team.
“The good news is Wayland has minimal need for this type of call, but it is comforting knowing that if we need the resources someone will respond,” McPherson added. “Their knowledge from being part of District 14 prepared them for this. For them it was probably a simple rescue but it reinforces in my mind that investing in this is important to Wayland.”
