MEDIA ALERT
Fire Departments to Celebrate Volunteer Firefighter Day on Sunday, April 23, 2017
WHO: In celebration of Volunteer Firefighter Day in Connecticut and the start of National Volunteer Week (April 23-29, 2017), more than 60 fire departments will hold open houses at nearly 80 locations throughout Connecticut at the same time on the same day (April 23, 2017, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.). Visitors to the fire houses will be able to talk with volunteer firefighters about the work they do, see demonstrations, explore fire apparatus and turnout gear, get a tour of the fire house, and fill out an application.
More than 80 percent of all fire personnel in Connecticut are volunteers, and the majority of fire departments throughout the state are experiencing a volunteer shortage. Local fire departments need volunteers of all skill levels and abilities, people willing and able to respond to emergencies whenever called upon, as well as support personnel such as fire police, administrative assistants, and more.
WHAT: Volunteer Firefighter Day is part of Everyday Hero CT, a program dedicated to increasing the number of volunteer firefighters throughout the state. A partnership of the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association (CFCA) and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), the Everyday Hero CT campaign is a two-year Volunteer Workforce Solutions (VWS) initiative designed to address the shortage of volunteer firefighters in Connecticut. It is helping achieve a viable and sustainable volunteer firefighter workforce for fire departments throughout Connecticut. Everyday Hero CT is funded by a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant awarded to the CFCA by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to develop a model to enhance the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters.
- Connecticut has more than 300 fire departments staffed by over 26,000 firefighters, 83 percent of whom are volunteers and are professionally trained.
- Volunteer firefighters can be called upon 24 hours per day, seven days per week to abandon the warmth and comfort of their homes in the middle of the night or during a holiday celebration, leave the fun of family gatherings on sunny summer afternoons, enter burning buildings, rescue stranded hikers and struggling swimmers, extricate victims from automobiles, and more.
- Volunteer firefighters save their communities millions of dollars every year.
- The majority of fire departments throughout Connecticut are experiencing a volunteer shortage.
A press conference will take place on Sunday, April 23, 2017, at 11:00 a.m. at Middlefield Volunteer Fire Company at 406 Jackson Hill Road, Middlefield.
Elected officials will speak; volunteer firefighters will talk about why they joined their departments.
WHEN: Sunday, April 23, 2017 | 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
WHERE: Almost 80 fire houses throughout Connecticut (see list below)
CONTACT: Laura Ward | WardComm Public Relations | 860.573.4809 (call or text) | laura@wardcommpr.com
Fairfield County (alphabetical by town)
Brookfield Volunteer Fire Company
92 Pocono Road, Brookfield
Easton Volunteer Fire Company
1 Center Road, Easton
Stratfield Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.
400 Jackman Avenue, Fairfield
Hawleyville Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.
34 Hawleyville Road, Newtown
Dodgingtown Volunteer Fire Department
55 Dodgingtown Road, Newtown
West Redding Volunteer Fire Department
306 Umpawaug Road, Redding
Echo Hose Hook & Ladder Co. 1
379 Coram Avenue, Shelton
Long Ridge Fire Company
366 Old Long Ridge Road, Stamford
Turn of River Fire Department
268 Turn of River Road, Stamford
Long Hill Volunteer Fire Company
Station 1, 6315 Main Street, Trumbull
Station 2, 5400 Main Street, Trumbull
Station 3, 4229 Madison Avenue, Trumbull
Nichols Fire Department
Station 1, 100 Shelton Road, Trumbull
Station 2, 582 Booth Hill Road, Trumbull
Trumbull Volunteer Fire Company
Station 1, 860 White Plains Road, Trumbull
Station 2, 100 Daniels Farm Road, Trumbull
Weston Volunteer Fire Department
52 Norfield Road, Weston
Hartford County (alphabetical by town)
Bloomfield Center Fire Department
18 Wintonbury Avenue, Bloomfield
Broad Brook Fire Department
125 Main Street, Broad Brook
Town of Canton Volunteer Fire and EMS
Canton Station: 14 Canton Springs Road, Canton
Collinsville Station: 51 River Road, Canton
East Hartland Volunteer Fire Department
34 South Road, East Hartland
Warehouse Point Fire Department
Station 138: 89 Bridge Street, East Windsor
Manchester 8th District Fire Department
138 Main Street, Manchester
Newington Volunteer Fire Department
1485 Main Street, Newington
Rocky Hill Fire Department
Company 1: 739 Old Main Street, Rocky Hill
Company 2: 52 New Britain Avenue, Rocky Hill
Company 3: 3050 Main Street, Rocky Hill
Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company
Weatogue Station: 251 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury
South Windsor Fire Department
Station 3, 232 West Road, South Windsor
Suffield Fire Department
Station #1: 78 Mountain Road, Suffield
Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department
Company 1: 171 Main Street, Wethersfield
Litchfield County (alphabetical by town)
Canaan Fire Company
4 East Main Street, Canaan
Harwinton West Side Fire Department
199 Scoville Hill Road, Harwinton
Kent Volunteer Fire Department
28 Maple Street, Kent
Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department
20 Shepard Road, Norfolk
Northville Volunteer Fire Department
359 Litchfield Road, New Milford
Pleasant Valley Volunteer Fire Department
Station 1: 44 Pleasant Valley Road, Pleasant Valley
Winchester Volunteer Fire Department
Newfield Road, Winchester
Winsted Fire Department
Station 1: 27 Elm Street, Winsted
Middlesex County (alphabetical by town)
Cromwell Fire Department
106 Coles Road, Cromwell
Middlefield Volunteer Fire Company
406 Jackson Hill Road, Middlefield
Portland Volunteer Fire Company
595 Main Street, Portland
New Haven County (alphabetical by town)
Branford Fire Department
45 North Main Street, Branford
Guilford Fire Department
Washington Engine Company: 4 Graves Avenue, Guilford
Eagle Hose Company: 120 Whitfield Street, Guilford
North Guilford Fire Company: 3087 Durham Road, Guilford
Hamden Volunteer Fire Companies
Station 7: 905 Shepard Avenue, Hamden
Station 8: 420 Dunbar Hill Road, Hamden
Town of North Branford Fire Department
Station 1: 1531 Foxon Road, North Branford
Station 2: 1370 Middletown Avenue, North Branford
Station 3: 1958 Middletown Avenue, North Branford
North Haven Fire Department
Montowese: 282 Quinnipiac Avenue, North Haven
Northeast: 366 Washington Avenue, North Haven
West Ridge: 1331 Ridge Road, North Haven
Orange Volunteer Fire Department
Station 2: 355 Boston Post Road, Orange
Southbury Volunteer Fire Department
461 Main Street, Southbury
North Farms Volunteer Fire Department
Station #7: 864 North Farms Road, Wallingford
Allingtown Volunteer Fire Association
20 Admiral Street, West Haven
Wolcott Volunteer Fire Department
Company 1: 395 Central Avenue, Wolcott
Company 2: 58 North Street, Wolcott
New London County (alphabetical by town)
Franklin Volunteer Fire Department
5 Tyler Drive, Franklin
Old Mystic Fire Department
Station #1: 21 North Stonington Road, Mystic
East Great Plain Volunteer Fire Company
488 New London Turnpike, Norwich
Oakdale Fire Company
444 Chapel Hill Road, Oakdale
Gardner Lake Volunteer Fire Company
429 Old Colchester Road, Salem
Salem Volunteer Fire Company
Salem Station 21: 424 Hartford Road, Salem
Stonington Borough Fire Department
100 Main Street, Stonington
Taftville Volunteer Fire Department
134 Providence Street, Taftville
Cohanzie Volunteer Fire Company #5
53 Dayton Road, Waterford
Tolland County (alphabetical by town)
Ellington Volunteer Fire Department
Station 243: 6 Nutmeg Drive, Ellington
Hebron Fire Department
44 Main Street, Hebron
North Coventry Volunteer Fire Department
Station 11: 3427 Main Street, North Coventry
Somers Fire Department
400 Main Street, Somers
Tolland Fire Department
Station 240: 3 Rhodes Road, Tolland
Town of Vernon Fire Department
724 Hartford Turnpike, Vernon
Windham County
Atwood Hose Fire Company
24 Wauregan Road, Wauregan