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Firefighters quickly doused a kitchen fire on Walker Street on Monday morning.

North Adams Fire Quickly Extinguishes Walker Street Blaze

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Fire Department quickly extinguished a kitchen fire on Walker Street on Monday morning and contained much of the damage to two rooms in the home. 
 
"It was a quick response, quick knockdown, and we are going to be out of here soon," Fire Chief Stephen Meranti said. "Unfortunately, the occupants are going to have to deal with the damage."
 
The call came in just before 9 a.m., and Meranti said police were first to arrive at 100 Walker St. and confirmed it was a structure fire. Lt. Brent Lefebvre was on scene soon after with Engine 1.
 
"We had smoke showing from the eaves all of the way around the building," Meranti said. "They had heavy smoke conditions in the building."
 
Meranti said he initially thought firefighters would have to vent the roof, but the fire was mostly contained o the kitchen so this was not necessary. There were no injuries.
 
"The occupants were out, and the firefighters rescued two dogs," he said.
 
Meranti said the fire seemed to have started in the kitchen around the stove, and he was waiting to talk to the occupants to get a better sense of the cause.
 
The kitchen and living room took the brunt of the damage. The rest of the home sustained smoke damage.
 
Meranti said because it was a confirmed structure fire all off-duty personnel were called. The oncoming shift was also called but was called off en route once the fire was contained.
 
Meranti said firefighters had access to a working hydrant, but the Clarksburg Fire Department tanker truck was called just in case.
 
Northern Berkshire EMS was also on scene.
 
Emergency vehicles left the scene around 10 a.m. with the fire largely extinguished before 9:30.
 
"That is the key. Early notification, a quick response, and a rapid interior attack," Meranti said. "They got on scene, stretched the line to the fire, and they did a good job."
 

Tags: structure fire,   

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North Adams Regional Reopens With Ribbon-Cutting Celebration

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

BHS President and CEO Darlene Rodowicz welcomes the gathering to the celebration of the hospital's reopening 10 years to the day it closed. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The joyful celebration on Thursday at North Adams Regional Hospital was a far cry from the scene 10 years ago when protests and tears marked the facility's closing
 
Hospital officials, local leaders, medical staff, residents and elected officials gathered under a tent on the campus to mark the efforts over the past decade to restore NARH and cut the ribbon officially reopening the 136-year-old medical center. 
 
"This hospital under previous ownership closed its doors. It was a day that was full of tears, anger and fear in the Northern Berkshire community about where and how residents would be able to receive what should be a fundamental right for everyone — access to health care," said Darlene Rodowicz, president and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems. 
 
"Today the historic opportunity to enhance the health and wellness of Northern Berkshire community is here. And we've been waiting for this moment for 10 years. It is the key to keeping in line with our strategic plan which is to increase access and support coordinated county wide system of care." 
 
Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, under the BHS umbrella, purchased the campus and affiliated systems when Northern Berkshire Healthcare declared bankruptcy and closed on March 28, 2014. NBH had been beset by falling admissions, reductions in Medicare and Medicaid payments, and investments that had gone sour leaving it more than $30 million in debt. 
 
BMC was able to reopen the ER as an emergency satellite facility and slowly restored and enhanced medical services including outpatient surgery, imaging, dialysis, pharmacy and physician services. 
 
But it would take a slight tweak in the U.S. Health and Human Services' regulations — thank to U.S. Rep. Richie Neal — to bring back inpatient beds and resurrect North Adams Regional Hospital 
 
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