Haddam Volunteer Fire Company Releases June Report

Members of the Haddam Volunteer Fire Company responded to 54 calls for emergency services in June:

Medical Emergencies – 32
Fires, alarms etc. – 9
Motor Vehicle Accidents – 8
Other – 5

Emergencies in June included a “save” and a “stop” – a cardiac arrest and a structure fire, respectively.

On June 1, the Fire Company responded to a reported medical emergency on Route 9 N. The driver was found slumped over in cardiac arrest. The patient was transported via Haddam Ambulance to Middlesex Hospital with additional Fire personnel on board assisting in CPR, stabilized and flown via Life Star to Hartford Hospital. Two days later he was awake, alert and oriented.

On June 29, Haddam firefighters made a good “stop” after light smoke was reported at a residence on Park Road. The fire was quickly extinguished and fans were used to ventilate the smoke. The house was vacant at the time. The Haddam Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause.

June also witnessed a series of vehicle accidents, including a high-speed collision at a tricky intersection. On June 29, a vehicle attempting to make a left from Thayer Road Extension onto Saybrook Road was struck by an oncoming vehicle, which veered off into the woods upon impact.

While the cause of this and other vehicle crashes in June remain under investigation, the Connecticut State Police frequently cite distracted driving as a contributing factor. According to AAA, about eight out of 10 crashes involve some sort of driver inattention within three seconds of that crash.

Distracted driving doesn’t just mean texting or talking on a cell phone, it’s any eyes-off-the-road time like talking to friends and playing with the radio. Even at residential driving speeds, the consequences of two seconds not watching the road translates to driving blind for several car lengths. Five seconds is the average time eyes are averted while texting, and at 55 mph, that’s enough time to cover the length of a football field blindfolded.

Remembering “Lil”

On June 17, the HVFCo. Auxiliary lost a dear 40-year member. Lillian "Lil" Dudek passed away at 101 years old. Members of the Fire Company attended her wake and acted as pallbearers before she was laid to rest.

Lil was a charter member of the Fire Auxiliary. Although she was 53 years old when the organization was founded in 1966, she remained extremely active for more than 40 years. Auxiliary members were pleased to spend so many birthdays with Lil, but her 100th birthday in 2013 was very special.

Burn Building

Thanks to some dedicated members, a gabled roof has been raised on the Fire Company’s new training facility. The two-story “built to burn” structure constructed out of metal shipping containers sits on a hill by the upper parking lot at HVFCo. Station 1. Once completed, it will resemble a house, including doors, a stairway and various obstructions like furniture. Like other multi-story burn buildings, firefighters will be able to practice fire attack from below and above. A section of the roof has been designed so it can be cut out and replaced to give firefighters practice with saws and vertical ventilation.

Training News
On June 28, HVFCo. Juniors Derek Brutzman and David Pearson graduated the Connecticut Fire Academy’s Introduction to the Fire Service program. In coming weeks, two more Juniors will also be recognized for attending the Fire Academy.

Haddam will host a Middlesex County Fire School Firefighter I course starting Aug. 21. The 14-week program is made up of about 200 hours of classroom and practical time on Thursday nights and weekends. Candidates must pass a written exam and a practical test to complete the course. Students will need to provide their own full protective clothing and SCBA with spare cylinder for classes. The class costs $700.

Please send applications or inquiries to: Jay Woron, Director, Middlesex County Fire School, 58 Bystrek Drive, Middletown, CT 06457 or call (860) 635-5914.

Drills
Members conducted a water pump exercise, reviewed new Middlesex Hospital protocols, and had an overview of Life Star and landing zone procedures.

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 connect with us on Facebook.