Looking Back on 2011: Top 5 Wayland Fire Stories

Wayland Fire has been busy this year, from a couple of house fires to the announcement of a retiring chief, Wayland Patch has worked to stay on top of the fire news.

1. (May 3)
Odimar Batista and William Tyree joined the Wayland Fire roster earlier in the year.

2. (May 18)
Firefighter Dean Casali for spearheading an effort to collect and transport supplies to Tuscaloosa, Ala., after the city was devastated by tornadoes.

3. Internal Candidate Chosen as Next Fire Chief (Dec. 9)
Deputy Chief Vincent J. Smith will assume the position of chief when current chief Bob Loomer retires at the end of February 2012.

4. (Dec. 5)
A fire that destroyed a house under renovation on Dudley Road presented unique challenges for firefighters, though Chief Bob Loomer says they handled the fire well.

5. (March 25)
The $55,000 grant allowed Wayland to upgrade its portable radios.