Groton Fire Department

IMPORTANT Information About Booking Inspections - Please Read

June 26, 2025

Dear Realtors and Homeowners,

The Groton Fire Department is currently experiencing an increased volume of emergency calls, significant drive times to area hospitals, and a shortage of available staff. As a result, scheduling inspections for Certificates of Compliance and many other inspections has become increasingly challenging.

With the recent uptick in home sales, we are finding it necessary to reschedule more appointments than usual due to emergency response demands. In many cases, we’re being contacted just days before a closing—making it extremely difficult for us to meet those last-minute requests.

To help ensure a smooth process for all parties, we kindly ask that homeowners contact the Groton Fire Department to schedule their inspection as soon as their home goes under contract. Please remember that the Certificate of Compliance is valid for 60 days.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we continue to prioritize the safety of our community.

Sincerely,

The Groton Fire Department

Burning Season 2025 - burning season runs from Jan 15th through May 1st each year

The State determines each day whether conditions are safe for open burning. Weather and air quality can change rapidly,

especially in the spring, and fire departments can rescind permits when that happens. To apply or activate your burn permit, please visit the Burn Permit website.

Open burning must be done:

Between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. from January 15 to May 1
At least 75 feet from all buildings

You are allowed to burn:

Brush, cane, driftwood and forestry debris (but not from commercial or industrial land clearing)
Agricultural materials including fruit tree and bush prunings, raspberry stalks, and infected bee hives for disease control.
Trees and brush from agricultural land clearing
Fungus-infected elm wood, if no other acceptable means of disposal is available

You may not burn:

Brush, trees, cane or driftwood from commercial or industrial land clearing

Grass, hay, leaves, stumps or tires

Construction materials or demolition debris

Household trash

How Do I Safely Start & Tend a Fire?

An adult should always be present and attend the fire until it is completely extinguished.

Keep children and pets a safe distance away.

Burn away from any utility lines.

Use paper and kindling to start the fire and add progressively larger pieces of wood.

Pieces of a discarded Christmas tree make good kindling.

To avoid the risk of personal injury, never use gasoline, kerosene or other flammable liquid as a fire starter.

Burn one small pile of material at a time and slowly add to it. This helps keep the fire from getting out of control.

Keep fire extinguishing materials handy. These should include a water supply, shovels and rakes.

The water supply can be a pressurized water fire extinguisher, pump can, or garden hose. Test the water source before lighting the fire.

Put the fire out if winds pick up or the weather changes. Use common sense.

Don't wait for the fire department to tell you that it has become unsafe to burn. Most fires get out of control during sudden wind changes.

If the fire gets out of control, call the fire local department right away to prevent personal injury and property damage.

You could be held liable for firefighting costs, as well as face fines or jail time, if you burn illegally or allow a fire to get out of control

(see M.G.L. c.48, s.13).

Project Safe and Sound Registry

The Groton Council on Aging, Groton Police Department and Groton Fire Department are pleased to announce Project Safe and Sound. This collaborative effort is intended to protect Groton residents (of any age), with cognitive impairment, that may be at risk for wandering.

Over sixty percent of people with Alzheimer’s or a related disorder will wander. Any family that is directly affected by dementia should consider registering for Project Safe and Sound as very few families expect a family member to go missing until it happens for the first time. Approximately six in ten of those with dementia will wander at least once, health-care statistics show, and the numbers are growing worldwide, fueled primarily by Alzheimer's disease. If not found within 24 hours, up to half of wandering seniors with dementia suffer serious injury or death.

Collecting this confidential information before an incident occurs enables the police department to begin search procedures immediately, as collection of data after the person has already gone missing can delay an effective search for an hour or more, increasing the chances that the wanderer will be in danger.

The Safe and Sound Registry contains identifying information such as date of birth, medical condition, a recent photo, emergency contact information, favorite places to go, and more.

All information on the registration form is kept completely confidential and accessible only to our First Responders and Council on Aging. If you would like to register, or you have a loved one you would like to register for Project Safe and Sound, you can stop in at the Police Department or the Council on Aging for a form. You can also find the registration form online here.

Please return all forms to:
Groton Council on Aging
The Groton Center
163 West Main Street
Groton, MA 01450.

There is no age requirement to be entered into this program. Residents who have a loved one with a serious cognitive impairment are encouraged to contact the Stacey Shepard Jones at the Council on Aging, 978-448-1170 for more information on Project Safe and Sound.

Coronavirus Information

This link will bring you to the latest information from the State of Massachusetts regarding COVID-19:

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-updates-and-information?fbclid=IwAR1wyu0DEB_0AmgWtzoXIiN4qamdpUy5jHRU_4NNGcrLurshuY0cak4Y56g

Recruiting information

View our Recruitment Video Here!