Andover Fire Department

Prepare now for a big summer storm

July 17, 2013 • Saved under Committees
By Rene Lefebvre, Chief
Everyone on the Andover Fire Department is very proud that the Andover Lions Club has presented our Fire Chief, Rene Lefebvre (right, waving), with the Granite State Fellow Award for his outstanding contributions to the community. He was recongnized on the Fourth of July with an invitation to ride in the Andover Lions' Concord Coach during the parade. Congratulations, Rene. Our town is very lucky to have you as our Chief. This award is much deserved! Photo and caption: Meghan Barton
Everyone on the Andover Fire Department is very proud that the Andover Lions Club has presented our Fire Chief, Rene Lefebvre (right, waving), with the Granite State Fellow Award for his outstanding contributions to the community. He was recognized on the Fourth of July with an invitation to ride in the Andover Lions’ Concord Coach during the parade. Congratulations, Rene. Our town is very lucky to have you as our Chief. This award is much deserved! Photo and caption: Meghan Barton

The Fourth of July celebration was especially exciting and memorable for me this year. As a recipient of the Lions Club’s Granite State Fellow Award, I was invited to ride in the Concord Coach during the parade. It was an honor for me and a fun ride.

The award was given for 30 years as fire chief and for my work with our community. I share this great honor with all the firemen and EMTs in Andover. I may get to lead the boat, but there is an incredible team, all working for our community. My sincere thanks to the Andover Lions Club and to the best team any fire chief has had the pleasure to work with.

Andy Guptill, Tiffany Garon, AJ Barton, and Steve Barton, all volunteers from the Andover Fire Department, worked hard on the Fourth of July selling sno-cones. The high temperatures helped in the fundraising efforts of the Andover Fire Department. Photo and caption: Meghan Barton.
Andy Guptill, Tiffany Garon, AJ Barton, and Steve Barton, all volunteers from the Andover Fire Department, worked hard on the Fourth of July selling sno-cones. The high temperatures helped in the fundraising efforts of the Andover Fire Department. Photo and caption: Meghan Barton.

As most of you know, I tend to keep an eye on things that can be harmful to our community. There are many trucks rolling through our town that carry very dangerous chemicals or flammable products. Andover Fire Department has had the proper training, and we have a plan to deal with a spill or accident.

We also have access to highly-trained teams only a radio call away that can deal with the very worst that may roll down Route 11 or 4. In other words, we have recognized a potential concern and have a plan to deal with it.

There may be another threat that could cause potential harm to our homes: the weather. If you pay attention to the storms this summer, they have all been coming right up the east coast and dumping tons of rain on our state. One weatherman stated, “If a tropical storm or a hurricane forms, it would have a direct highway up the east coast.”

Large-storm related issues that usually impact us New Hampshire homeowners are loss of power, trees down in the road and on the wires, and localized flooding.

Hardy, stubborn New Englanders often choose to shelter in place when the lights and heat go out and water supply is disrupted. It is at this level that I am asking Andover residents to prepare.

Most likely, home heating will not be a concern, but lighting will be. Please do a flashlight and battery check. Have easy-to-prepare meals stored away, as you may not have a stove available. Put away a gallon of drinking water per person per day for three days (but not in a basement that may flood).

If you have a home generator, great! Now test it, and be sure it has been serviced recently. Think about filling the bathtub with cold water before the storm hits, because water readily available to flush toilets is better for everyone.

You may think that I sit and worry endlessly about what could happen in our town. Far from it, but as a fire manager, I like to plan and be ready. Before every big storm, we in the Andover Fire Department check our equipment, sharpen our saws, and discuss personnel status.

But keep in mind that in a very bad storm, when the risk to human life and equipment could be too great for Andover Fire and EMS to deploy, we may also be sheltering in place and unable to respond to your emergency.

The odds are great that Andover will be hit by a big storm this season. A little preparation on your part now could make a huge difference to you and your family.