PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems will provide Pfizer COVID-19 booster vaccination through its Testing Centers in Pittsfield and North Adams, and Fairview Hospital in Great Barrington, beginning on Oct. 1.
Appointments are required and can be made by visiting or enrolling in the Berkshire Patient Portal, or by calling the BMC Link Line, 855-BMC-LINK (855-262-5465).
Due to supply chain delays, the number of appointments available each day is temporarily limited. Additional appointments will be added in the next two weeks with expected increased vaccine supply. Walk-in appointments for booster shots are not available at this time.
The booster is available to individuals who are 65 and older, or under 65 and have chronic medical conditions and are eligible under the guidelines issued by Gov. Charles Baker, and have previously received their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months prior to receiving the booster.
At this time the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines have not been approved for boosters.
Booster appointments can be scheduled at the Berkshire Health Systems Testing Centers in Pittsfield at 505 East St., St. Luke's Square, adjacent to the BHS Urgent Care Center, and in North Adams at 98 Church St., next to the North Adams Library. Fairview Hospital will be providing booster vaccination on weekdays by appointment at 29 Lewis Ave. in Great Barrington.
For questions about COVID-19, vaccination, or to schedule a test or vaccination appointment, call the BHS COVID-19 Hotline at 855-262-5465. The hotline is open daily from 8 am to 4:30 pm. To enroll in the Berkshire Patient Portal, visit www.berkshirehealthsystems.org/patientportal.
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State Fire Marshal: New Tracking Tool Identifies 50 Lithium-Ion Battery Fires
STOW, Mass. — The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services' new tool for tracking lithium-ion battery fires has helped to identify 50 such incidents in the past six months, more than double the annual average detected by a national fire data reporting system, said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine.
The Department of Fire Services launched its Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Investigative Checklist on Oct. 13, 2023. It immediately went into use by the State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal's office, and local fire departments were urged to adopt it as well.
Developed by the DFS Fire Safety Division, the checklist can be used by fire investigators to gather basic information about fires in which lithium-ion batteries played a part. That information is then entered into a database to identify patterns and trends.
"We knew anecdotally that lithium-ion batteries were involved in more fires than the existing data suggested," said State Fire Marshal Davine. "In just the past six months, investigators using this simple checklist have revealed many more incidents than we've seen in prior years."
Prior to the checklist, the state's fire service relied on battery fire data reported to the Massachusetts Fire Incident Reporting System (MFIRS), a state-level tool that mirrors and feeds into the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). NFIRS tracks battery fires but does not specifically gather data on the types of batteries involved. Some fields do not require the detailed information that Massachusetts officials were seeking, and some fires may be coded according to the type of device involved rather than the type of battery. Moreover, MFIRS reports sometimes take weeks or months to be completed and uploaded.
"Investigators using the Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Checklist are getting us better data faster," said State Fire Marshal Davine. "The tool is helpful, but the people using it are the key to its success."
From 2019 to 2023, an average of 19.4 lithium-ion battery fires per year were reported to MFIRS – less than half the number identified by investigators using the checklist over the past six months. The increase since last fall could be due to the growing number of consumer devices powered by these batteries, increased attention by local fire investigators, or other factors, State Fire Marshal Davine said. For example, fires that started with another item but impinged upon a battery-powered device, causing it to go into thermal runaway, might not be categorized as a battery fire in MFIRS or NFIRS.
Albert Ingegni III was applauded for four decades of service on the Zoning Board of Appeals during City Council. Mayor Peter Marchetti presented him with a certificate of thanks for his commitment to the community.
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