AVON VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT TO OFFICIALLY WELCOME NEW ENGINE 7
April 3, 2017 | Avon, CT – On Sunday, April 9, 2017, the Avon Volunteer Fire Department (AVFD) will officially welcome its new Engine 7. From 2:00-4:00 p.m., the Department will hold a special “housing” ceremony at AVFD Company 1 on Darling Drive. Members of the Department and the community will push Engine 7 into its bay and formally welcome it to the AVFD’s apparatus fleet. The event is open to the public. Food and souvenirs will be provided.
The AVFD took delivery of its new Engine 7 in January; last month, the AVFD put the new E7 into service and took the old E7 offline.
“We hope the community will join in our excitement for the arrival of our second new engine and feel the same pride we do when they see Engine 7 responding to calls around town,” says AVFD Chief Michael Trick. “The replacement of Engines 11 and 7 over the past six months has been a very large undertaking for the Department and we couldn’t be more thrilled.”
The cab and chassis of the new E7 were commissioned to the AVFD’s specifications from Michigan-based Spartan. The vehicle’s body was custom built by Gowans-Knight in Watertown, Connecticut. Custom reflective tape applications were designed and donated by Orafol whose Reflective Solutions Division (formerly Reflexite Corporation) is headquartered in Avon, Connecticut.
Engine 7 carries 1,000 gallons of water, and has an on board light tower, portable battery-powered extrication tools, an enclosed cab, a more powerful engine than its predecessor, state-of-the-art safety systems including cameras on all sides of the vehicle, airbags in the cab, and a seat belt monitoring system to alert the driver to crew members not buckled up. The new apparatus replaces the AVFD’s almost 30-year-old Engine 7.
About the AVFD
Incorporated in 1943, the Avon Volunteer Fire Department proudly protects more than 18,000 people living in the 22.6 square mile area that makes up the Town of Avon. The Department’s mission is to provide fire suppression and prevention, life safety and rescue support, as well as other community support to the citizens of the Town of Avon. In addition, the Department provides mutual aid support to those surrounding communities that, in time of need, may request such assistance.
Staffed entirely by volunteers, the Avon Volunteer Fire Department prides itself on the selflessness and dedication of its members. The Department operates six companies and 15 pieces of apparatus, including a brush truck, ladder truck, tanker, rescue vehicle, boat, and pumpers. Four stations are located throughout Town – Company 1 on Darling Drive, Company 2 on Secret Lake Road, Company 3 on West Avon Road, and Company 4 on Huckleberry Hill Road. Anyone interested in learning more about the AVFD should call the Avon Volunteer Fire Department (AVFD) at 677-2644, visit www.avonvfd.org, connect on Facebook at AvonVFD, or stop by the Company 1 firehouse located at 25 Darling Drive any Monday evening after 7:00.
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