WEST NEWBURY — Chief Michael Dwyer reports that the West Newbury Police and Fire Departments responded to three public safety calls Wednesday, the third of which required a man to be transported via medical helicopter.
At 1:51 p.m., West Newbury Police and Fire responded to reports of a male contractor who had fallen 20-30 feet inside a residence located at 137 River Road.
Responding crews provided on-scene medical treatment to the 37-year-old male and safely transported him via Atlantic Ambulance to a local park, where he was then transported via medical helicopter to an area hospital.
His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
The incident is under investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and West Newbury Inspectional Services.
Groveland Fire provided mutual aid assistance, securing a landing zone for the medical helicopter and assisting in transporting the patient from the ambulance to the helicopter.
This was the third public safety response West Newbury provided today.
At 11:20 a.m., the Police and Fire Departments responded to a medical call from a resident on Garden Street. The Departments provided treatment, and the patient was transported to an area hospital by Atlantic Ambulance.
At 1:30 p.m., the departments responded to a reported odor of gas in a two-family residence on Bachelor Street. Residents of the home were evacuated as a precaution, and the Fire Department later determined the cause of the odor was low propane levels in the storage tank.
Fire crews ventilated the residence, and all residents were able to safely return to their homes shortly after.
In light of this incident, Chief Dwyer urges the community to review tips for winter home heating safety, provided by the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/winter-home-heating-safety. This resource highlights important tips for safely using space heaters and maintaining natural gas equipment during the winter season.
“Despite a busy day, our dispatchers, officers, firefighters, and EMS crews did an excellent job providing care and serving our community,” Chief Dwyer said. “This is evidence of our public safety unit’s commitment to providing top-notch, professional service regardless of the situation.”
