Over the past few weeks, the deer in town have kept the Chiefs of WRFD busy. On Wednesday, July 20, 2022 while getting ready to attend the Jamesport Fire Department Parade, WRFD was activated for a deer stuck in a fence in the Oakwood on the Sound community. Chief of Department Denise Gluck (6-3-30), 2nd Assistant Chief Mark Donnelly (6-3-32), WRFD 1st Responder (6-3-80) and WRFD EMT-P Jamie Boyd responded to the location and found a doe who was stuck in a wood fence. EMT Boyd and Chief Donnelly worked together to try to cover the animals head and then extricate the doe from the fence. The doe was removed from the fence, with minimal damage, and ran off to join its friends.

On Wednesday August 3, 2022 another doe, failed to clear a fence around a yard on Remsen Rd and was found hanging with it’s rear leg stuck in a metal fence. Again 2nd Assistant Chief Mark Donnelly responded to the incident. WRFD FF/EMT-P Julio Prendergast was monitoring the call and at the request of Chief Donnelly reached out to his father-in-law and WR resident Jim McDougall, who volunteers at the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center in East Quogue, for some expert help. Mr. McDougall was able to sedate the deer which allowed him to tag it and then with the help of Chief Donnelly and a Riverhead Police Officer to free the deer from the fence with no further injuries. The deer a short while later ran off into the woods to rejoin her family.