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Michael Ciccarelli, left, Owen Hoffman, Morgan McDonough and Tyler Colby were recognized by a community member for their 'outstanding assistance' during her husband's medical episodes.

Dalton Firefighters Commended for Their Work

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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DALTON, Mass. — A resident of the town gave a $250 donation to the Fire District, citing the Fire Department's "outstanding assistance, compassion, and kindness."
 
The department's Fire Chief, Christian Tobin, made the announcement during the Board of Water Commissioners meeting last month. 
 
The resident, Carol Silverman, wrote a letter along with the donation thanking the firefighters who have responded to her 911 calls for her husband, Shlomo Silman, who is 91 1/2  years old and has taken ill on many occasions over the last three to four years. The letter was read out loud to the board. 
 
The firefighters had "been so wonderful in their assistance. Tyler [Colby], in particular, has been exemplary in providing assistance, e.g. whenever my husband fell or was having breathing issues," she wrote the district. 
 
This donation says the firefighters are out there doing a wonderful job every day for the citizens of Dalton and neighboring communities when called upon for emergencies, Tobin said afterward. 
 
"They're doing an outstanding job delivering the service everybody expects, and they do it every day. A lot of times, they don't get thanks, and so it's nice to hear 'Thank you' from the community and the people who we are serving firsthand. It makes everybody feel very good," Tobin said. 
 
In the modern age, 75 percent of what the Fire Department does is emergency medical care, he said. 
 
This needs to be acknowledged and the department needs to grow that because the town has an aging population, Tobin said. "The best way to serve the town of Dalton is to be prepared for those changes and to modernize and to recognize where the future is leading us."
 
It is also important for the department to have a close relationship with the community because they are part of the community, the chief continued. 
 
This donation demonstrates that the Dalton firefighters are doing just that, he said. 
 
"They're here for the community, and it's the community that is reciprocal. The community supports the Fire Department, and the Fire Department supports the community, and we can see that," Tobin said. 

Tags: firefighters,   recognition event,   

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Truck Crashes Into Pittsfield's Samel's Deli

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Elm Street will be partially closed as cleanup continues. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Wednesday morning was busy for Pittsfield first responders, as a pickup truck crashed into Samel's Deli & Catering and a fire broke out on First Street.

Around 9:45 a.m., the police reported that the street in front of Samel's Deli & Catering would be closed or down to one lane as a result of a two-car collision that sent the truck careening into the deli.

The department posted two photos on Facebook, one depicting the silver truck with New York license plates crashed through the glass of the front entrance and another of a white Honda CR-V with significant damage to the front end.

"A vehicle was coming out of one of the alleyways here and struck this truck, which continued into the building," Police Officer Craig Jones explained when iBerkshires arrived on the scene.

Jones reported that there was one injury, but not whether it was someone in the vehicles or in the deli. A crossing signal near Samel's front entrance was also taken out by the truck.

Around this time, crews worked to clear debris in front of the restaurant as the truck was towed away. That section of the road reopened around 11 a.m.

The police, firefighters and an ambulance responded to the accident and police intend to release a statement on the incident.

Around 6:15 a.m., the Fire Department reported that it had responded to a possible structure fire at 233-235 First St. Windows on all three floors of the multi-family building are now broken or boarded up and the cause is under investigation by the Fire Investigation Unit and investigators from the State Fire Marshal's Office.

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