March Report

Members of the Haddam Volunteer Fire Company responded to 50 calls for emergency services in March.

Here’s a breakdown of calls:

Medical Emergencies - 29                      

Fires, alarms etc. - 8
Motor Vehicle Crashes - 8
Other - 5                         

Members of the Fire Company responded mutual aid to an early morning structure fire in Chester on March 7. Five people in the home, including a young child, all escaped safely. Once the fire was knocked down and overhaul had started, firefighters from Haddam and Middletown’s South District repacked 2,000 feet of 5-inch diameter hose back onto Chester Hose Company’s Engine 1.

March 8 was a busy and blustery day for members who responded to several calls during an unexpectedly severe winter storm including a vehicle fire on Plains Road. Earlier in the day, crews responded to a utility pole fire on Thayer Road caused by a large branch falling on a power line.

That was appropriately followed on March 11 by a speech by CL&P Safety Administrator Warren Rogers about working safety around power lines. Rogers stressed that “no arc, no spark” is a deadly rule of thumb, especially for First Responders. He said that emergency workers must be extra vigilant of their surroundings because even a wire that appears dead is very likely still live and lethal.

On March 28, the Fire Company joined Middletown’s South District to battle a car fire and resulting brush fire on Route 9 between exits 9 and 10. The highway was shut down for about an hour and the Fire Company flowed 3,000 gallons of water.

Among the 29 medical emergencies, several were considered very serious.  During one incident, a teenager fell from a second story window.  Fire Company EMS personnel packaged the teen who was transported to a trauma center.  At another call, a 2-year-old stopped breathing. The patient was transported via Haddam Volunteer Ambulance Service, assisted by a Middlesex hospital paramedic, and was later transferred via Lifestar helicopter to Hartford Hospital.

In other training news, the Fire Company held a Hazardous Materials refresher on March 18. A simulated chemical spill allowed members to practice defensive Haz-Mat procedures. Probationary members and Juniors drilled on the use of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus.

Also in March, Bill Buganski and Jed Morrissey completed their probationary periods and were sworn in as full-fledged firefighters. Firefighter Rob Lenois officially became a state-certified Emergency Medical Technician.

The Firefighter II class being hosted in Haddam trained as Rapid Intervention Teams (RIT) at the Middletown Fire Training Tower. A RIT Team is a group of two or more firefighters solely dedicated to search for and rescue of firefighters in distress. The course wraps up this month.

Do You Have What It Takes? Find more information on the activities of the Haddam Volunteer Fire Co. and ways you can get involved at our website www.HaddamFire.com, or find us on Facebook.