March Report

Members of the Haddam Volunteer Fire Company responded to 48 calls for emergency services in March.

Medical Emergencies – 29
Fires, alarms etc. – 16
Motor Vehicle Accidents – 3

March went out like a lion, ending with a last-gasp of winter weather and two accidents on March 31.

A jackknifed tractor-trailer took out a section of guardrail southbound on Route 9 between exits 7 and 8. Members of the HVFCo. and Chester Fire Department responded. The driver was transported via Chester Ambulance to Middlesex Hospital Shoreline Medical Center in Essex with minor injuries. While that call was still active, a car was reported on its side in a brook, leaking gas. The occupant had fled the scene and was uninjured, according to his father. The spill was contained with absorbent booms and the DEEP was notified. DEEP deemed no environmental hazard and a wrecker removed the car.

On March 14, the HVFCo. responded to a fully involved structure fire at the Pattaconk Yacht Club on Dock Road in Chester. Engine 6-13 helped establish water supply by drafting water from the Connecticut River and Haddam firefighters were sent in to work hand lines. Haddam joined firefighters from Chester, Deep River, Essex, Killingworth, Old Saybrook and Middletown South District.

The HVFCo. extinguished two brush fires in March. The first was an 50-foot long stretch of burning brush reported shortly before midnight on March 23 along Jail Hill Road. On March 28, a 2 a.m. brush fire scorched a hillside in the Cockaponset State Forest near Old Mottland Road off of Beaver Meadow Road.

Please remember that early spring offers plenty of fuel for brush fires. Low humidity and strong sunshine warms and dries out the fuel. Most of the area is free of snow cover, green-up is slow and the brush is dry. Be very careful using outdoor power equipment, do not toss burning cigarettes out of your vehicle and avoid parking on dry, grassy areas where exhaust can ignite the brush underneath.

In training news, 12 drivers were qualified on Haddam’s new Tanker 2-13. They are: John Boothroyd, Rick Annino, Robert Kadrle, Jamie Kuycht, Scott Kuycht, Gene Melanson, Franklin Pierce, Zack Tiezzi, Kyle Vallera, Dan Sullivan, Robert Norton Jr. and Richard Williams. Firefighter Jed Morrissey was also Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certified.

Haddam Fire Instructors Dan Sullivan, Robert Norton Jr., Rob Lenois and Jed Morrissey taught a two-day Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) class last month for Firefighter II candidates at the Middlefield Fire Training Facility.

The HVFCo. conducted a deep woods search-and-rescue drill, an overview of new Tanker 2-13 and station cleaning.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of fallen Boston Firefighters Edward Walsh of Engine Company 33 and Michael Kennedy of Ladder Company 15.
Rest in Peace brothers.

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.