Milton Fire Chief tells 'Voice' how damage occurred

Milton Fire Chief Nick Marique (Courtesy photos)

MILTON – Milton Fire Chief Nick Marique, in an effort to refute rumors spread in media reports in other newspapers, told The Lebanon Voice in an exclusive interview today that the accident that damaged the Milton Fire and Rescue stationhouse on Friday occurred when a spotter assisting a Farmington fire truck backing into a bay couldn’t see a vertical extension atop the vehicle.

The vehicle, Farmington Fire Department’s new pumper, had been dispatched to Milton when Milton Fire was called on mutual aid to battle an Acton blaze that destroyed an unoccupied home on the Hopper Road.

It was the first visit by Farmington’s new pumper to the Milton stationhouse and as the spotter was assisting the truck inside, they couldn’t see the vertical extension atop the truck, Marique said.

Damage done during Friday incident.

“You can’t see it when you’re right next to the truck,” added Marique, who upon learning of the mishap returned from the fire to the stationhouse to assess the damage.

He said when he returned from the Acton fire, Milton Police were already on hand and State Police later arrived to begin a probe of the accident.

He then met with selectmen and other town officials to devise a game plan to expedite repairs. By noon, a structural engineer and an insurance claims adjustor were beginning the claims process.

A recommendation was made to shore up the bay temporarily and shift the fire truck normally housed in the affected bay to Milton Mills, while a ladder truck normally housed at Milton Mills was sent to Wakefield.

Marique said repairs will be made as soon as possible once an estimate is delivered and a contractor can be selected. The engineer’s recommendation is expected to be delivered today.

He said the town has a $1,000 deductible on its insurance policy.

The Farmington fire truck was also damaged, although he did not know what its repair cost would be, adding its claim would likely be made on Farmington’s insurance.

Marique said it is standard operating procedure to have fire trucks doing station coverage put inside the stationhouse as opposed to comments made in the Foster’s story.

He said the fire truck that was backing into the bay was probably traveling two or three mph when the mishap occurred.

He said he was disappointed by the article in today's Foster’s Daily Democrat that implied some Milton residents may have thought the damage was done intentionally by firefighters in reaction to residents’ voting against a new fire station referendum last Tuesday.

“You can’t let stuff people say bother you, because we’re here to do a job,” Marique said. “We do the best we can with what we have and despite what people may say or think, we have the best intentions.

“And we’re going to continue to be here to provide the best service that we can to protect the people of Milton. Just because people said no to the fire station has nothing to do with our strategies that we have in place to protect the people of Milton.”