Police Chief Marc Haslam and Fire Chief Eric Hajder wish to share several important safety tips and reminders as residents prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday.
On behalf of the Swansea Police Department, Chief Marc Haslam would like to thank Lt. Joseph Martin upon his retirement for his 35 years of dedicated service to the Town of Swansea.
The Town of Swansea welcomes community members to attend the Prysmian Group’s and SouthCoast Wind’s upcoming Brayton Point Project informational session.
Town Administrator Mallory Aronstein announces that the Swansea Municipal Complex Project team will host a Community Forum and Listening Session next week.
Town Administrator Mallory Aronstein invites community members to attend an upcoming listening session regarding proposed improvements to Swansea Mall Drive. Members of the business community, as well as residents and visitors, are welcome and urged to attend.
SWANSEA — Chief Eric Hajder reports that the Swansea Fire Department extinguished a fire at a home on the corner of Bark St. and Houlton St. on Friday afternoon.
On Friday, May 26, at 3:48 p.m. Swansea Fire received multiple calls reporting a structure fire at 9 Houlton St.
Swansea Fire Department Car 2 reported heavy smoke visible en route to the scene. Car 1 arrived first on the scene and reported heavy fire conditions in the raised ranch-style home.
All occupants of the home were out of the building by the time firefighters arrived on the scene. Occupants were evacuated by neighbors, as they were initially unaware of the fire. The fire was burning up an exterior wall and into a ceiling space.
Crews made an aggressive interior attack with multiple hand lines until conditions forced the evacuation of the structure.
Firefighters remained on the scene performing extensive overhaul and the scene was cleared just prior to 8 p.m.
Four Swansea engines, Ladder 1 and Rescue 1 responded to the scene. An additional engine from the Somerset Fire Department was brought to the scene and Swansea Ambulance Corps responded to standby. The Rehoboth Fire Department and Warren Fire Department provided station coverage during the incident.
The home is uninhabitable as a result of the fire, and the damage is estimated to be approximately $250,000. Seven residents and several pets were displaced. There were no injuries reported. The American Red Cross is assisting the residents.
The origin and cause of the fire were jointly investigated by the Swansea Fire Department and State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s Office and determined to be accidental and started with an electrical appliance in the home’s basement bathroom.
Chief Hajder would like to thank Swansea firefighters as well as the mutual aid partners that assisted in this incident.
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Chief Eric Hajder, on behalf of the Swansea Fire Department, would like to congratulate volunteer firefighter Matt Thayer upon his graduation from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy’s Call/Volunteer training program.
As part of Distracted Driving Awareness Month, Chief Marc Haslam announces that the Swansea Police Department is conducting heightened distracted driving patrols.
The Town of Swansea announces that Avian influenza has been detected in a sample of dead wild birds in town.
SWANSEA — Chief Marc Haslam reports that the Swansea Police Department arrested three men and one juvenile this past weekend on charges related to the misuse of a paintball gun.
COREY DECHAINE, AGE 18, OF MALBOROUGH; DEREK RAPOSO, AGE 19, OF FALL RIVER; AUSTIN HOBBS, AGE 21, OF FALL RIVER; and A 17-YEAR-OLD MALE JUVENILE were arrested and charged with:
On Saturday, April 15 at 1:21 a.m., Swansea Police received a report of shots fired at a motor vehicle on Route 6 in the area of Bushee Road. The caller stated that the suspect vehicle was a white Subaru WRX, traveling West on Route 6.
Swansea Police officers located the suspect vehicle in Seekonk a short while later and conducted a motor vehicle stop.
While searching the vehicle during the stop, officers located and seized several paintball guns. As a result of the search and subsequent investigation, DECHAINE, RAPOSO, HOBBS and the 17-YEAR-OLD MALE JUVENILE were arrested without incident.
DECHAINE, RAPOSO and HOBBS were transported to the Bristol County House of Correction’s Ash St. Jail in New Bedford. The 17-YEAR-OLD MALE JUVENILE was transported to a juvenile detention facility in Framingham.
DECHAINE, RAPOSO and HOBBS are scheduled to be arraigned today at the Fall River Justice Center, and the 17-YEAR-OLD MALE JUVENILE is scheduled to be arraigned today at Juvenile Court.
The victim of the shooting was not seriously injured and declined transportation to a hospital.
These are allegations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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