Fire Dept Profiles

Going from night to day.

Darien, CT - The town of Darien is located in Southern Fairfield County, Connecticut, along the state's Gold Coast. It is located between Norwalk and Stamford, CT and is one of the top-earning towns in the country. Darien currently has a population of 20,732 people living in 13 square miles. Darien is comprised of mostly residential areas and includes mostly private homes, small businesses, town government buildings, large mansions, and a small commercial district situated along the Boston Post Rd. Two highways, I-95(CT Turnpike) and CT Rte. 15(Merritt Pkwy.) cut through the town.

Darien is protected by 3 independent all-volunteer fire departments. The Darien Volunteer Fire Department, organized in 1895, protects the Eastern/Central area of town and operates out of 1 Fire Station. The Noroton Volunteer Fire Department was organized in 1896 and protects the Western /Southern area of town and operates out of 1 Fire Station. The Noroton Heights Fire Department was organized in 1903 and protected the Northern/Central sections of town and operates out of 1 Fire Station. The three fire departments operate a combined fire apparatus fleet of 6 Engines, 3 Trucks(including 1 Quint), 3 Rescues, 2 Tankers, 1 Fireboat, 1 High-Water Rescue Unit, 3 Utility Units, and 5 Command Units. The combined annual call volume for the 3 all-volunteer fire departments is approximately 1,100 emergency calls per year.

Darien Volunteer Fire Department - 848 Post Rd. - Downtown
-Engine 41
-Engine 42
-Tower Ladder 43
-Rescue 44
-Tanker 45
-Utility 46
-Car 40(Assistant Chief)
-Car 400(Assistant Chief)
-High-Water Rescue Unit

Noroton Volunteer Fire Department - 1873 Post Rd. - Noroton
-Engine 31
-Engine 32
-Ladder 30
-Rescue 33
-Marine 34
-Utility 35
-Car 30(Assistant Chief)

Noroton Heights Volunteer Fire Department - 209 Noroton Ave. - Noroton Heights
-Engine 21
-Engine 23
-Truck 20(Quint)
-Rescue 25
-Tanker 22
-Utility 24
-Car 20(Assistant Chief)
-Car 200(Assistant Chief)
 
nfd2004 said:
It's been awhile since this thread has been discussed. If there's any new updates, can we get them posted.

  Bridgeport, Ct recently did away with the Safety Officers (Safety 1) position for nights, holidays, and weekends out of the Central Ave Firehouse. They were using Captains and Lts on overtime for this. Instead as I understand it, of the two on duty Battalions, the second due Battalion Chief becomes the Safety Officer. I think Yonkers now does the same thing. That position is held until one of the off duty members of the Training Divison arrives (Training 1, 2, 3, etc).
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  The Safety Officers position was restored back in April, 2013 after a brief shutdown. There is now a Safety Officer on duty 24 hours a day, every day, every shift. 1 Captain and 3 Lts have been assigned who operate out of the Central Ave firehouse. This brings Bridgeports on duty minimum manning from 61 to 62 members. (total of 9 Engines, one of which is a Quint, 4 Ladders, 1 Pumper Rescue, 2 Battalions and 1 Safety Officer).

  The Safety Officers will also be a part of the Training Division and assigned to shift training.
 
Shelton, CT - The city of Shelton is located in Northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, about 10 minutes north of Bridgeport. Shelton is a city located in the Housatonic River Valley, or simply the "Valley" of Connecticut, which runs from Shelton to Waterbury. Shelton currently has a population of 40,000 people living in 30.5 square miles. Because of multiple corporate office parks and manufacturing headquarters in the area, the population usually rises to over 250,000 during the day. Shelton is a very mixed city, an old "New England factory town". Downtown, there are many old "3-deckers", large factories(many of which are abandoned), mixed-occupancy buildings, OMD's, commercial buildings, garages and warehouses, industrial complexes, and smaller single-family dwellings. Most buildings are over 100 years old and are built right on top of one another. The Downtown area runs along the Housatonic River and is very urban and congested, with many hills. The rest of Shelton is primarily residential, with many large homes and estates in the northern and western most reaches of the city, as well as some farmland. Along several main arteries are several commercial and mixed districts.

Shelton is protected by the city of Shelton Fire Department(SFD). The SFD is comprised of 4 all-volunteer fire companies, each operating their own Fire Station. Each company is commanded by a Captain and an Assistant Chief, who in turn report to the Deputy Chief and Chief of Department. Echo Hose Hook & Ladder Co. 1, or Fire Headquarters, is the oldest fire company in the city(org. in 1882), located Downtown. Fire Headquarters serves the northern and central areas of the city, as well as Downtown and the industrial areas along the Housatonic River. Huntington Fire Co. 3 is located in the Huntington section of Shelton, serving the city's western area. Pine Rock Park Fire Co. 4 serves the southern sections of the city along the Housatonic River, between Trumbull to the West and Stratford to the South. White Hills Fire Co. 5 serves the northwestern-most rural sections of the city. The Shelton Fire Department operates a combined fire apparatus fleet of 8 Engines, 1 Tower Ladder, 1 Ladder, 2 Rescue Squads, 2 light Rescues, 2 Marine Units, 1 Tanker, 2 Brush Units, 3 Utility Trucks, and 1 Maintenance Unit, as well as several support units. The SFD responds to approximately 2,500 emergency calls annually, with no EMS calls. EMS is provided by Echo Hose Ambulance(a private volunteer EMS department), AMR, and Valley EMS.

Echo Hose Hook & Ladder Co. 1(Fire Headquarters) - 379 Coram Ave. - Downtown
-Engine 2
-Engine 4
-Tower 7
-Squad 5
-Truck 9(Utility/Water Rescue Unit)
-Marine 1
-Car 1(Chief of Department)
-Car 2(Deputy Chief)
-Car 6(Assistant Chief)
-Car 18(Maintenance Unit)
-Car 100(Fire Police Chief)
-Car 101(Capt.)
-Car 102(1st Lt.)
-Car 103(2nd Lt.)

Huntington Fire Co. 3 - 44 Church St. - Huntington
-Engine 32
-Engine 35(Engine/Tanker)
-Ladder 33
-Squad 30
-Car 3(Assistant Chief)
-Car 301(Capt.)
-Car 302(1st Lt.)
-Car 303(2nd Lt.)

Pine Rock Park Fire Co. 4 - 722 Long Hill Ave. - Pine Rock Park
-Engine 42
-Engine 44
-Rescue 45
-Brush 43
-Truck 40(Utility Unit)
-Marine 4
-Car 4(Assistant Chief)
-Car 400(Fire Police Chief)
-Car 401(Capt.)
-Car 402(1st Lt.)
-Car 403(2nd Lt.)

White Hills Fire Co. 5 - 2 School St. - White Hills
-Engine 52
-Engine 53
-Tanker 59
-Truck 54(Brush Unit)
-Truck 55(Utility/Rescue Unit)
-Gator 5
-Car 5(Assistant Chief)
-Car 501(Capt.)
-Car 502(1st Lt.)
-Car 503(2nd Lt.)
 
For "Working Fires (10-75s or greater) in Connecticut, Shelton was in the Top Twenty Depts in the State of Connecticut. It is also the only all volunteer fire dept to make that top twenty.
 
fdny1075k said:
Great thread Bill.

Here's a few FD profiles.

Page 1:

Norwich, CT
Bridgeport, CT
New Haven, CT
Hartford, CT
Stamford, CT
Waterbury, CT
Norwalk, CT
New Rochelle, NY
Mount Vernon, NY
Fairfield, CT
Virginia Beach, VA
Newark, NJ
Newport News, VA

Page 2:

Jersey City, NJ
Yonkers, NY
Providence, RI
Worcester, MA
Springfield, MA
Cambridge, MA
Bayonne, NJ
Paterson, NJ
Greenwich, CT

Page 3:

White Plains, NY
Hoboken, NJ
Buffalo, NY
Syracuse, NY

Page 4:

North Hudson Regional Fire Rescue Department(Union City, Weehawken, Guttenberg, North Bergen, and West New York, NJ)
Rochester, NY
Albany, NY
Alexandria, VA
Philadelphia, PA
Miami, FL
San Francisco, CA
Baltimore, MD
Boston, MA
Detroit, MI
Click to expand...

"fdny1075k", Mr Emmett M., you have done a GREAT JOB on this thread. And there have also been a few additions added from Johnd248, Raybrag, and I think GG. I certainly do appreciate it. I know that you (fdny1075k) will be starting school soon if you haven't already.

  I would also like to see Lawrence and Lowell, Mass posted at some point. Lawrence has always had work and I know that Lowell has had their share too. I'm also into the DC area and those surrounding county depts as "mack" will tell you. Maybe he has posted the info before on here, but I'm not sure where.

  For the guys that like to buff or visit various depts, this is where the info can be found. In addition Emment, in some cases you have described the city by population etc plus the type of buildings and other interesting facts about some of these places. If possible, I would like to list the radio frequency also. Everything anybody needs if they decide to visit one of these areas. Sort of like a "One Stop Shopping". I know that Providence Fire is now digital which has hit me very hard. Used to be the same as Brooklyn and I would hear Providence at home, loud and clear. (and on a good summer night, Brooklyn would also come in).

  (So my young friend Mr M., I have a little work for you if you're interested. In return for your extra work, if you go to the next Get Together (10/18, 19, 2013) I will gladly buy you lunch. Not at Micky Ds, but at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn. Plus if you need a ride, I'll pick you up. You'll just have to let "fdce54" sit in the front. He's not quite as slim as you are. As long as you don't mind the rubbish I have accumlated in the back seat).

  Hopefully we can add to this thread a little more information.
 
CFDMarshal said:
Well Bill, where are you going to put my not so thin posterior segment? :'( :eek:
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  You joining us there Rev CF ?

  If so, we'll put "fdny10..." in the back of the hatchback. A little more rubbish back there, but he'll be fine.
 
Willie, don't forget Deano (VBCapt) . . . haven't heard much from him lately, but he's still out there.
 
nfd2004 said:
CFDMarshal said:
Well Bill, where are you going to put my not so thin posterior segment? :'( :eek:
Click to expand...

  You joining us there Rev CF ?

  If so, we'll put "fdny10..." in the back of the hatchback. A little more rubbish back there, but he'll be fine.
Click to expand...
Maybe Willy "D" can rig a subway strap to the back of the hatchback and I'll ride the tailboard. 8)
 
Lawrence, MA - Lawrence is located in the Merrimack River Valley in Essex County, Massachusetts. Currently, Lawrence has a population of 76,000 living in 7 square miles. Lawrence is an "old New England factory city" with an abundance of old mills and factories, as well as many older frame multiple-dwellings, or "3-deckers". Once a huge manufacturing town and an immigrant epicenter, Lawrence currently has faced severe economic setbacks, with a major arson problem during the 1990's. I-495 runs through Lawrence and the city also has a large hospital, Lawrence General and three colleges.

The Lawrence Fire Department(LFD) currently has suffered from major department budget cuts and setbacks. Currently, the LFD operates out of 4 Fire Stations, located throughout the city, under the command of a Deputy Chief per shift. The LFD also operates 4 Engines, 2 Ladders(including a Snorkel), as well as a cross-staffed Rescue, as well as 2 spare Engines and 1 spare Ladder. Each Engine and Ladder is staffed by 1 officer, 1 driver, and 1 firefighter(2 when manpower permits). The Lawrence Fire Department runs around 13,000 calls annually, with a heavy fire load. The LFD's shift schedule is two 10-hour days, two 14-hour nights, and four days off. Their frequency is 154.445.

Engine 5, Ladder 5(Snorkel), Rescue 1, Car 20(Chief of Department), Car 21(Deputy Chief) - 65 Lowell St. - General Donovan
Engine 6 - 480 Howard St. - Prospect Hill
Engine 7 - 286 Park St. - Arlington
Engine 9, Ladder 4(Quint) - 79 S. Broadway - Southwest
 
I wanted to bring this topic up of Fire Department Profiles because one of the members was talking about posting his department on here. That department covers an area about one third the entire State of Connecticut. "fitpara16", this is the thread I was talking about if you wish to add to it.
 
  Lawrence, Ma  is like someone cut out a piece of Washington Heights and dropped it in a small New England town. 
 
fdny1075k said:
Worcester, MA - Worcester is the 2nd largest city in Massachusetts and New England, after Boston, with a population of 181,000 living in an area of just over 37 square miles.

The Worcester Fire Department(WFD), currently operates out of 10 Fire Stations,

South District

Engine 2, Engine 13, Ladder 3, Car 4(South District Chief), Scuba 1(Dive Unit), Fireboat - 180 Southbridge St. - Downtown/Main Middle


North District

Engine 3, Engine 16, Ladder 2, Car 2(Deputy Chief), Car 3(North District Chief) - 141 Grove St. - Institute Park/Bell Hill
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I haven't been to Worcester, Mass in awhile. But I know that they would "brown out" any place where they had two engine companies operating out of the same firehouse. During the summer with vacations etc., it was highly unlikely that either Engine 13 or Engine 16 would be manned.
 
Bill I believe you are correct. Worcester currently has 3 Firehouses that have more than one Engine Co. quartered there. Like in New Haven, CT and Bridgeport, CT, the city would close down a firehouse and more companies into one centralized location. Engine 12, Engine 13, and Engine 16 I would wager to guess are most likely browned out on occasion.
 
fdny1075k said:
Bill I believe you are correct. Worcester currently has 3 Firehouses that have more than one Engine Co. quartered there. Like in New Haven, CT and Bridgeport, CT, the city would close down a firehouse and more companies into one centralized location. Engine 12, Engine 13, and Engine 16 I would wager to guess are most likely browned out on occasion.
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  You're right Emmett. It was those three Worcester Engine Companies that would get closed down. Although that was a while back, that was what I was told then. I'm sure nothing has changed to keep them open now.
 
New Haven ,ct was lucky enough a couple years ago when they had a new contract they were able to get a minimum manning clause put into there contract. For awhile it was bad I think they were browning out 2 engines and they had lost a few company's before they started with brown outs. They currently have to have an officer and 3 firemen on all 10 engines, an officer and four firemen on the 2 squads, an officer and 3 firemen on all 4 trucks, 2 firemen on the 2 emergency units (medic units), 2 battalion chiefs (cars 33,34) and a deputy chief (car 32). For those who don't know New Haven is in a tough spot, there down about 120 members on a department that is supposed to have over 300. Of the four deputy chief positions (one on duty per shift), all four have been vacant for some time, of the 8 battalion chief spots ( 2 on duty every shift) only 2 of the 8 are filled, and of the 25 captain positions only about 12 are filled. Leaving a lot of members acting the next rank. Some of which have been at the acting rank for years.
 
I had a great conversation with "Willy D" last night.  I was born in Vernon CT and he gave me a rundown of departments in CT and the size and challenges they face.  He asked me about the department I work for in Virginia, and I explained how our combination system works, which is quite different from a lot of departments in the North East, particularly in the size of our response areas. 

Albemarle County, Virginia is due west of Richmond, VA on Interstate 64. The county is 740 square miles (give or take a few miles based on what map you look at) and has an urban ring area around the City of Charlottesville, VA and very rural and mountainous (Blue Ridge Mts)areas further out in the county. I work for the County Career Fire Rescue Department that was formed in 1993.  The county also has 7 Volunteer fire departments and 2 volunteer rescue squads (ambulances) that are independent corporations but operate as part of the County Fire Rescue system.  There are a total of 10 fire stations, 2 volunteer rescue stations and 2 career rescue stations to cover the 740 square miles.  The City of Charlottesville has a separate Fire Department that staffs 4 engines and 2 trucks and 1 Battalion Chief per tour.  They respond to the County automatically in some areas under a contractual agreement, and countywide for mutual aid when requested.  There is one volunteer rescue squad based in the City that provides EMS to the county in some areas nights and weekends. 

The Albemarle County Fire Rescue Department Staffs 3 Stations 24/7 with career crews for an engine and in two stations a 24 hour medic unit.  There is a third 24 hour medic unit that operates out of a station without an engine company.  During the day during the week, County Fire Rescue provides career staff to 4 volunteer departments and 1 volunteer rescue squad 0600-1800. Nights and weekends are covered by volunteer crews. 3 volunteer departments and 1 volunteer rescue squad have no career staff. Each volunteer department has it's own chief officers, and there is one Fire Rescue Battalion Chief on duty 24/7 as the shift commander (I am one of the shift commanders).  The shift commander supervises the career staff and coordinates with the volunteer chiefs to provide service.  The county Battalion Chief responds countywide (all 740 sq, miles) to incidents. 

Staffing on an engine is a minimum of 3 (Driver, Officer, Firefighter).  There are also 3 Tower Ladders that are crossed staffed by crews when necessary, or by volunteer crews if a second crew is available.  Only 8% of the county has hydrants, the other 92% we have to work off tanks or establish water shuttles.  There are 10 2500 gallon tankers (tenders) in the county with 1000 gpm pumps.  All engine companies except for one (and this will be replaced this year) have compressed air foam systems (CAFS)which helps with quick knockdown.  Most of the engines are equipped with extrication equipment, and all career staffed engines also are quipped with ALS gear and at least one medic.  There are and assortment of brush fire units and other support vehicles scattered around the county.  System wide we run about 14,000 calls a year, a majority are EMS.  This year, with the cold weather we have had a significant amount of working fires, and brush fires are always a concern with the vast woodlands in the county. 

The response areas are large, and some companies have a 20 minute run first due to a job.  The next closest company may be 15 minutes behind the first due company.  In the urban area, the response times are much less, but one working fire puts a serious strain on our resources.  As the shift commander, I can at times have 30 minute (or more) response times to jobs. 

Anyone who is in the Central VA area is always welcome to stop in and see how we operate.  The Battalions do not ride with an aide, so you are always welcome to join me.  The company would be nice on the long runs, but you may want to pack your lunch!
 
fltpara16 said:
The response areas are large, and some companies have a 20 minute run first due to a job.  The next closest company may be 15 minutes behind the first due company.  In the urban area, the response times are much less, but one working fire puts a serious strain on our resources.  As the shift commander, I can at times have 30 minute (or more) response times to jobs. 

Anyone who is in the Central VA area is always welcome to stop in and see how we operate.  The Battalions do not ride with an aide, so you are always welcome to join me.  The company would be nice on the long runs, but you may want to pack your lunch!
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That does bring back memories! The scene was the same for us in Tennessee. We had active first due areas that were twenty minute runs for first due engine. At one time we had the only truck company within 40 miles. Yes, we have eaten on the way to the call !
 
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