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caption, page 5:
Last Service
Three fire departments will use the Aspinock House for training this week. Then it will be demolished to make way for the entrance to the new Municipal Complex. This is the back corner of the building. The siding was removed. Linda Lemmon photo.
Aspinock
House
serves 1
last time
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — The Aspinock House’s last days of service.
Having stood on School Street for more than 100 years, the Aspinock is in its final week of life, still serving.
March 13 members of the Putnam Fire Department were scoping out the building, preparing for firefighter training this week. The Aspinock Historical Society of Putnam moved its records and collections out months ago. Its new home will be in the nearby Municipal Complex slated to be ready at the end of August.
The classic red siding of the building has been removed. Asbestos and lead abatement has been done.
Some 50 firefighters will build their skills in the building this week and then the building will be demolished to make way for the complex’s entrance.
Assistant Fire Chief Mike Viens said all through the week beginning March 15, firefighters will be training. Training ends on Sunday, March 21. He said the Putnam Fire Department plus firefighters from mutual aid partners Woodstock, East Putnam and Attawaugan will take part. He estimated some 50 firefighters would be trained.
March 13 Viens and Captain Scott Lefebvre went through the building considering various scenarios.
Search and rescue training will come first. The department will “try to smoke it up” as best they can, considering not all of the windows are leak proof.
After that, training will cover “hose lines advancement.” And finally training will cover venting a building. The building will not be burned.
“We’re going to try to cover everything we can,” he said. “This will be good for the guys.”
Putnam Fire Department Captain Scott Lefebvre said the opportunity to have a building provide this last little bit of service to the town is “super rare.” Viens and Lefebvre could count on one hand the opportunities for this type of training in the past. Ten to 15 years ago, the department training in one of the two houses that stood where Generations Health is now. More training took place at a house off School Street near Airgas. That house remains. They also remember using the Irish American Club on Rt. 44 for training before it was razed.
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