Southwick Fire Department

05/22/2026

It’s officially the last day of EMS Week, and we want to take a moment to recognize the incredible EMS providers here at the Southwick Fire Department.

Our call volume continues to rise, and the demands on our EMS team grow right along with it — yet day after day, our providers show up with professionalism, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to this community. Their hard work doesn’t just keep us running; it keeps Southwick safe.

We are truly grateful for everything our EMS personnel do throughout the year.
Thank you for your dedication, your resilience, and your heart.

05/21/2026

It’s been a busy stretch here at the Southwick Fire Department, but I wanted to take a moment to share some great news with our community.

Last night we held a small ceremony to celebrate the promotion of FF Ian Hurley to Lieutenant. This is a huge achievement and well‑earned. We’re excited to see all the great things Ian will bring to the role as he steps into this next chapter.

At the same time, we had the honor of ceremoniously passing Badge 1 from retiring member Dennis Day to current member FPO Brian Schneider. (More to come on Dennis soon — he deserves his own spotlight.)

Thank you to all the friends, family members, staff, and town officials who joined us. Your support means more than you know.

05/18/2026

Please see below advisory from the Southwick Police.

Motor Vehicle Recovery:

Monday, May 18, 2026, at 9:00 am, recovery efforts will begin for the vehicle that fell through the ice on middle pond back in January.

The lake will remain open as well as the North Boat ramp during the recovery efforts, however, space will be limited at the boat ramp due to emergency personnel and vehicles.

If you plan on being on the lake, we ask you keep a safe distance from the recovery zone and maintain a safe headway speed while travelling through the area as several divers will be in the water. The Southwick Police Department as well as the Massachusetts Environmental Police will be on the water maintaining a safe zone.

Assisting with tomorrow's efforts is the Massachusetts Regional Dive team as well as Interstate Towing. The Department of Environmental Protection Agency will also be on scene. The recovery of this vehicle is expected to take several hours.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

05/14/2026

Press Release for overnight fire on Point Grove Rd, Southwick.

05/07/2026

MassWildlife is planning to conduct a prescribed burn at the Southwick Wildlife Management Area on South Longyard Road in Southwick on Friday, May 8, 2026. The prescribed burn will be conducted for ecological management to restore grasslands, improve wildlife habitat, and provide valuable wildland fire training. The burn will be conducted in collaboration with DCR Fire Control District 11, the Southwick Fire Department, and other prescribed fire partners in the region. The presricbe burn will begin some time after 9 AM weather permitting.

05/03/2026

We are excited to announce a recent grant award from the Commonwelath to support our ongoing education initiatives for students and seniors. The grant will provide funding for eductaional materials, support items for our seniors, and training. Thank you to Deputy Bishop for the extra work that goes into this grant application and for her continued efforts to keep Community Risk Reduction an import part of our day to day operations.

04/30/2026

Over the past week, the Ashland Fire Department, Charlton Fire Department - MA, FD, and Topsfield Fire Department all responded to house fires that started with unsafe outdoor burning. Remember that open burning season ends tomorrow, and it's never permissible to burn rubbish or debris. Even cooking fires must be attended by an adult at all times, and always keep the tools to extinguish it handy.

04/30/2026

IMPORTANT MassWildlife is planning to conduct a prescribed burn at the Southwick Wildlife Management Area on South Longyard Road in Southwick on Friday, May 1, 2026. The prescribed burn will be conducted for ecological management to restore grasslands, improve wildlife habitat, and provide valuable wildland fire training. The burn will be conducted in collaboration with DCR Fire Control District 11, the Southwick Fire Department, and other prescribed fire partners in the region. The presricbe burn will begin some time after 9 AM weather permitting.

04/19/2026

As telecommunicators week comes to a close, I want to thank the men and women of the Westfield Regional Dispatch Center. They truly are the unsung heroes of first responders. This past week, like almost every week, was a true testament to their abilities, capabilities and their fortitude to do a very difficult job. I had a very unique experience this past week when I was in the dispatch center and from a distance listened to two dispatchers handle a cardiac arrest call into the center. Within seconds instructions on how to perform CPR were given and apparatus and ambulance personnel with dispatched without hesitation. It was all done with the utmost professionalism and compassion for everybody involved. It is a very, very difficult job to be a dispatcher. You are the first person to hear the cry for help. It’s never easy to sort through the chaos, but somehow they do an amazing job- every time! From the most routine to the most traumatic calls, they step up and perform above and beyond, every single day. Thank you to all of the members of the Westfield Regional Dispatch Center and all dispatchers worldwide. With my sincerest gratitude, Fire chief Richard Stefanowicz.

04/15/2026

Open burning has been suspended for the immediate future out of an abundance of caution due to very dry conditions, warmer temperatures and prevailing winds. If conditions improve open burning will resume. The open burning season ends May 1st and you are required to obtain a permit. Visit southwickfire.org for more inforamtion on open burning. Thank you for your cooperation.