Two-Alarm Fire Damages Needham Home

The owner was able to make it to safety after flames and smoke broke out in his kitchen Wednesday afternoon.

Needham Firefighters Celebrated on September 11

The promotions of two town employees were recognized Tuesday during the selectmen's meeting.

On a day when communities throughout the United States are reminded of the sacrifice and duty of their public safety officers, in light of the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, Needham quietly celebrated two of its own. Firefighters Dennis Condon and Peter Cosgrove received promotions in June and were recognized at Tuesday’s meeting, following a moment of silence for the first responders and other victims of the 2001 attacks. “If 9/11 taught us anything, it’s how much police and fire are on the front lines and how much you do on behalf of the community,” Selectman Jerry Wasserman told Condon and Cosgrove, who attended the meeting along with Needham Fire Chief Paul Buckley and Police Chief Phil Droney. Buckley agreed that, while it was a …

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Needham Police, Fire To Mark September 11 Anniversary

Local officials will hold a moment of silence in memory of the people who died in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Needham will remember 9/11 quietly this year, on the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that shook the nation and took the lives of at least three Needham residents. Last fall, the town held a special ceremony to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the attacks. No major events are planned in Needham for this year; however, members of the Needham Police and Fire departments will be marking the date with special ceremonies, according to Sandy Cincotta, assistant to the town manager. Members of the Needham Police Department Honor Guard will be participating in a short service on Friday, Sept. 7 at the 9/11 Memorial at the State House in Boston. On Tuesday, Sept. 11, the Needham Police Department will remember the 2001 attacks with a …

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Alarm System May Have Saved Man's Life in Pine Street Fire

Resident was awakened by firefighters breaking into the home after he slept through the smoke alarms.

A Pine Street resident was able to make it to safety after a fire broke out in the attic of his home early Monday morning, thanks to working smoke detectors that were tied to an alarm system that notified the local fire department. Needham Fire Department received a call at around 5:15 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 3 from an alarm company reporting a possible fire at 7 Pine St. When firefighters arrived at the scene, they saw smoke coming out of the attic, Fire Chief Paul Buckley said. Firefighters knocked on the front door but received no response, so they broke a window to get into the home, then began advancing a hose through the house and upstairs to the third floor, where the fire had broken out. That’s when the home's sole occupant was …

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Safety First at Rosemary Pool

Lifeguards teamed up with Needham Police and Fire personnel for a water rescue training exercise on Thursday, June 14, as the pool staff prepares for the season opening next week.

With Rosemary Pool expected to open for the season next week, pool staff got a little extra training on Thursday afternoon—running through a simulated swimming accident with members of the Needham Police and Fire departments. Though the Rosemary Pool lifeguards have always been well trained in safety protocol and response, such as CPR and First Aid, the interaction with police and fire was a new training exercise designed to help everyone understand just what an emergency response would look like. “We always try to change up our training,” said Patty Carey, Park and Recreation Department director. “We do a lot of drills with them. But it’s nice to do it with the professionals that are going to respond instead of waiting until there’s an …

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Annual Town Meeting Wraps Up

Residents completed the town's FY2013 business on May 16, approving purchase of a new fire engine, establishing a fund to cover turf field replacement and other items.

Needham’s 2012 Annual Town Meeting wrapped up Wednesday evening, May 16. Highlights of the fourth and final meeting night included approval of a land purchase, funding for a variety of capital items from energy efficiency upgrades to a new fire engine, and setting aside money for replacement of turf fields and other future needs. Here’s a quick look at the articles approved: Article 30: Cash Capital Items As town officials pointed out on the first night of Town Meeting, Needham has more money than usual left over from fiscal year 2011, in part because of higher than anticipated revenues. In typical years, the town has a range of $3.4 million to $3.6 million in “free cash” available at the close of a fiscal year; however, in the FY2011 …

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Land Purchase Approved at Special Town Meeting

Needham residents took up 12 articles on the special warrant on Monday, May 14 before returning to business on the annual warrant.

At the May 2012 Special Town Meeting on Monday, May 14, Needham residents approved a $1.05 million purchase of property on Lincoln and School streets for parking and the possible future expansion of the Needham Police and Fire stations, among other business. On the third night of spring meetings, voters first took up the 12 articles listed in the Special Town Meeting warrant, quickly passing articles 1-2, 4, 6-7 and 9 by unanimous consent. Article 8 asked members to approve a land purchase and renovation totaling $1,175,000 for properties at 59 Lincoln St. and 89 School St.—$525,000 for each of the parcels, plus $125,000 for grading, excavation, paving, installation of drainage, lighting and other renovations. The purchase represents “a …

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Two Needham Natives Join Fire Department

New Needham firefighter paramedics Patrick Muir and Joseph Tierney were introduced at the May 8 selectmen's meeting.

Two of Needham's own have joined the Needham Fire Department. Firefighter/paramedics Patrick Muir and Joseph Tierney III were introduced at the selectmen's meeting on Tuesday, May 8 as the newest members of the department. Both are licensed paramedics. Muir and Tierney both grew up in Needham and attended Needham Public Schools—a background that makes them a great asset to the Needham Fire Department, Fire Chief Paul Buckley said Tuesday night. “One of the things that’s advantageous for us having gentlemen and ladies that are from Needham is that they know the town—they know the streets, the buildings, the people," Buckley said. Tierney graduated from Needham High School in 2006 and has five years of experience in emergency medicine, …

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Police Reports: Woman Vomits in Cab, Refuses to Pay Fare

The following information was supplied by the Needham Police Department. Any charges mentioned do not indicate a conviction.

A Connecticut woman was placed into protective custody after she allegedly refused to pay a cab fare after being dropped off at the Needham Sheraton Hotel on Thursday, April 19. Police were called to the Cabot Street hotel at around 1:55 a.m. by a cab driver who was having a dispute with a client over cab fare. The driver told the responding officer that the woman he had picked up in his cab had vomited in the back seat and was refusing to pay her fare. The woman, a 27-year-old resident of Darien, CT, eventually did pay the money but appeared to be intoxicated, according to reports. She was taken into police custody but not charged. Other incidents highlighted in the April 24 Needham Police reports: Dumpster Fire on Fuller Road Needham …

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Town Eyes Property for Future Police & Fire Expansion

Parcels at 59 Lincoln and 89 School street are available for purchase and will be voted on at the May 14 special Town Meeting.

The town is eying two parcels at the corner of Lincoln and School Streets for the potential future expansion of the police and fire stations. On Tuesday, March 27, selectmen officially opened the May 14 special Town Meeting warrant, which features an article that allocates $1,175,000 for the purchase of parcels at 59 Lincoln and 89 School street, adjacent to the current Needham Police and Fire stations. The parcels are two of three currently owned by the Needham Community Council, which relocated in February to a new home at 570 Hillside Ave. A third parcel, 51 Lincoln St., holds the council’s old office buildings and is currently not available for town acquisition; however, the property would also be of interest to the town if it did …

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