'Hot Off The Press' East Haddam Volunteer Fire Department News

The Labor Day holiday is just around the corner and East Haddam residents and their families are making plans for weekend celebrations, some of which could involve the considered use of fireworks.

A recent incident involving fireworks here in East Haddam caused a field to catch on fire, located close to residential buildings. An area of tall grass, approximately 50 by 100 feet was ignited and burned before fire crews could arrive and extinguish the blaze. Fortunately, no injuries were reported and none of the nearby homes were affected.

In this case, according to police, a 12-year-old child was able to gain access to an assortment of fireworks--all of which are illegal here in the state, for personal or home use. The only exception being sparklers.

'Sparklers' are described as non-explosive, non-aerial devices which can only legally be used by a person who is age 16 or older.

Fireworks, which have long been known to cause serious and sometimes fatal injuries, may not be sold, purchased or used--with the exception being regulated fireworks displays put on by professional pyrotechnicians, who are licensed and approved by state and local officials.

For more details and information, you may visit the Connecticut Department of Public Safety's website.

The 'Truck of the Month', East Haddam Volunteer Fire Department's Engine 2-15, is a 1996 Spartan-4 Guys fire apparatus. It has a Detroit Diesel 8v92 engine with an Allison automatic transmission. The truck's holding tank has a capacity to carry 750 gallons of water, and is equipped with a 2000 gallon-per-minute pump. The water hoses on the truck include 400 feet of 3-inch hose, 600 feet of 1-3/4-inch hose, and 2000 feet of 5-inch hose. A thermal-imaging camera, gas meter, halogen light bars, SCBA's (self-contained breathing apparatus), ladders and axes are among some of the equipment kept on board. Engine 2-15 is considered to be a 'front line' unit, or one of the first trucks sent in to the scene of a fire.

July 2011 Response Log :

FIRE ALARM - 105 Hemlock Valley Road, Saturday, July 2 at 5:54 p.m.

WIRES DOWN - 15 Porges Road, Wednesday, July 6 at 11:37 a.m.

PROPANE LEAK - 428 Hopyard Road, Thursday, July 7 at 12:49 p.m.

STRUCTURE FIRE - 143 Petticoat Lane, Friday, July 8 at 7:29 a.m.

MOTOR-VEHICLE ACCIDENT - Lumberyard Road, Thursday, July 14 at 2:01 a.m.

FIRE ALARM - 67 River Road, Thursday, July 14 at 6:21 a.m.

TREE DOWN IN ROADWAY - Tater Hill Road, Saturday, July 16 at 2:31 p.m.

MOTOR-VEHICLE ACCIDENT - Johnsonville Road, Saturday, July 16 at 5:00 p.m.

WIRES DOWN - Route 82, Monday, July 18 at 12:43 p.m.

MOTOR-VEHICLE ACCIDENT - Mount Parnassus Road, Tuesday, July 19 at 5:40 p.m.

OUTSIDE FIRE INVESTIGATION - Route 149, Friday, July 22 at 2:46 a.m.

CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR INVESTIGATION - 60 AP Gates Road, Friday, July 22 at 3:14 p.m.

WIRES DOWN - Norwich Road, Friday, July 22 at 4:56 p.m.

WIRES DOWN - 6 Deer Run, Saturday, July 23 at 3:59 p.m.

MOTOR-VEHICLE ACCIDENT - Mount Parnassus Road, Sunday, July 24 at 2:12 a.m.

ASSIST STATE POLICE WITH SEARCH - Mount Parnassus Road, Sunday, July 24 at 5:19 a.m.

MOTOR-VEHICLE ACCIDENT - 60 Bashan Road, Wednesday, July 27 at 12:07 a.m.

FIRE ALARM - 264 Town Street, Saturday, July 30 at 8:47 a.m.

MUTUAL-AID TO HADDAM FIRE DEPARTMENT - Sunday, July 31 at 7:06 p.m.