February Report

Members of the Haddam Volunteer Fire Company responded to 26 calls for emergency services in February. Here’s a breakdown of calls:

Medical Emergencies - 10                       

Fires, alarms etc. - 8
Motor Vehicle Crashes - 6
Other - 2                        

Outside of a flurry of activity surrounding winter storm Nemo, February was relatively quiet. The month’s 26 calls are less than half of January’s 60 calls, and far short of 2012’s monthly average of 45 calls, which is noteworthy considering that February brought one of the worst blizzards in Connecticut history.

In anticipation of the blizzard, chains were put on the tires of the entire fleet of apparatus. A group of firefighters manned Station 1 throughout the storm on Feb. 8 and 9.

As the storm intensified, CAR-13 went out on a public service run to a commuter lot at Route 9 Exit 8. State police were unable to reach a stranded motorist who was low on fuel. HVFC members managed to reach the driver and bring her back to Station 1, where she was later picked up.

A medical call came in at about 2 a.m. on Feb. 9. Two of the Fire Company’s four-wheel drive vehicles had great difficulty reaching the patient. Paramedics from Middlesex Hospital could not respond due to the poor road conditions. Our EMS personnel were on scene for a significant amount of time before returning.

Power outages in Haddam, which had been a major problem in previous storms, were thankfully few and brief.

A couple days after the storm, members shoveled out water tanks and standpipes around the community. Without a municipal water system in town, maintaining supplemental water sources like standpipes is crucial.

Also in February, a two-car motor vehicle accident on Route 81 resulted in an extrication, in which the roof and door were removed to reach the driver.

In training news, members honed their skills with Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA). At a Scramble Station, members practiced getting into full SCBA, focusing on accuracy and passing inspection instead of speed. The group then donned SCBAs in the dark, then with the lights on, practiced putting their partner’s regulator in, and disassembling and reassembling everything with gloves on. Packs were then disassembled and put into a pile. Once the lights were out, members had to find the pieces, assemble them and go on live air. At a Cleaning and Maintenance Station, firefighters learned a new washing system, and checked batteries, o-rings, etc. At a Reduced Profile Station, members practiced reduced/low profile maneuvering using a handicapped ramp – over a simulated floor joists, through a restricted passageway and over/under a table.

A drill for probationary members and Juniors featured an introduction to the Fire Company’s cascade air bottle refilling station and an overview of the Engines.

The Firefighter II course being hosted in Haddam also started in February. A vehicle extrication class was held at Station 3.

On Feb. 15, our thoughts turned to John Bertolini, who passed away in 1987 after returning home from a barn fire. John was Haddam Fire’s first and only line-of-duty death. Rest in Peace John.

More information on the activities of the Haddam Volunteer Fire Co. and ways you can get involved can be found on our website www.HaddamFire.com, or find us on Facebook.