By Olivia Drake, HVFCo. Public Information Officer.
Haddam Volunteer Fire Company responded to 38 calls for emergency services in April 2019 including a structure fire in Killingworth and several motor vehicle accidents.
Fire/Alarms: 5
Motor Vehicle Accidents: 9
Medical: 21
Other: 3
A home on Route 148 in Killingworth is declared uninhabitable following a structure fire at 3:15 a.m. April 15. Haddam Volunteer Fire Company provided mutual aid at the scene.
Upon arrival, firefighters encountered a working fire in a 2.5-story home with exposure to a detached garage. Crews immediately made an initial attack on the exterior fire before entering the home. All occupants of the home were able to escape safely upon discovering the fire, thanks in part to working smoke alarms in the home.
Tankers from Haddam, along with Killingworth, Durham, Madison, North Madison, Haddam, Clinton, and Deep River, shuttled water from pond on Route 148 to a fill site near the end of the home’s driveway. HVFC also assisted with fire suppression, ventilation, and overhaul.
HVFC also provided mutual aid to Honey Hill Road in East Haddam on April 10 as part of a Tanker Task Force. Firefighters helped shuttle water to the scene using Tanker 2-13.
On April 12, HVFC was dispatched to Skunk Misery Road for a chimney fire with no reported extension. The homeowner had used an extinguisher to suppress the fire in the firebox. Firefighters examined the chimney from inside the home and saw a visible and active fire in the flue approximately half way up the chimney.
Crews used a thermal imaging camera inside the home and confirmed the fire had not spread outside of the flue.
Exterior crews accessed the roof and lowered chains into the chimney to push burning creosote down into the firebox. The homeowner was advised not to use the chimney until it is professionally cleaned.
HVFC responded to three motor vehicle accidents on April 5.
At 11:30 a.m., crews were dispatched to the intersection of Saybrook Road and the Route 82 connector for a two-car accident involving four patients. All four were evaluated on scene by Haddam Volunteer Ambulance Service (HVAS) personnel and refused additional medical treatment. Firefighters directed traffic until one vehicle was towed and the other was driven away.
At 2:20 p.m., firefighters responded to an accident with entrapment on Route 9 South between exits 8 and 9. A driver had lost control of his vehicle and slid down an embankment, stopping at a tree. Crews used Hurst tools to lift the dash and extricate the patient. HVAS personnel carried the patient up the embankment on a backboard and transported him to Hartford Hospital with injuries.
At 8:30 p.m., HVFC was called to Higganum Center where a driver had swerved and struck a parked, unoccupied vehicle in front of Hi-Way Package Store. The patient suffered minor injuries and was evaluated on scene by Haddam Ambulance. She refused additional medical care. Both vehicles were towed from the scene.
At 7:20 April 10, HVFC was dispatched to a motor vehicle accident on Little City Road between Valley Ridge Drive and Jackson Road. Upon arrival, firefighters encountered one vehicle, off the road, and on its roof. The driver had self-extricated and left the scene. Firefighters closed one lane of traffic during the incident and blocked the entire road while the vehicle was removed.
On April 20, crews responded to a motor vehicle accident involving a dirt bike. The driver of the dirt bike was not wearing a helmet when he crashed his bike on Gulf Quarry Road. The driver was transported to Middlesex Hospital via Haddam Volunteer Ambulance Service.
On April 24, crews responded to a motor vehicle accident at 3:40 p.m. in front of Haddam Elementary School. A crossing guard, who was monitoring traffic on Saybrook Road, asked traffic to stop at the crosswalk. A driver, who had yielded at the crosswalk per her direction, was struck from behind by another vehicle.
The crossing guard was evaluated on scene by firefighters and EMS personnel but was uninjured. The driver of the vehicle that had stopped was transported to Middlesex Hospital via Haddam Volunteer Ambulance Service.
A driver, who had failed to stop at the crosswalk was evaluated on scene but refused additional medical treatment.
On March 28, HVFC was called to the scene of a motor vehicle accident in front of East Coast Salvage on Killingworth Road. All occupants had self-extricated and were evaluated on scene by firefighters and EMS personnel. None required additional medical treatment.
Firefighters closed one lane of traffic during the incident.
This month, HVFC also responded to a call for a 10-month-old child with a possible allergic reaction, a fall victim, and a fainting spell at Haddam-Killingworth High School.
DRILLS
Drills this month included extinguishing brush fires and pump operations, search-and-rescue, ATV driving, swim qualifications, apparatus and equipment checks, and a brush fire drill for the Junior Division. On April 8 and 9, Haddam Volunteer Fire Company members, along with personnel from New Jersey-based company Fail Safe, tested more than 13,000 feet of hose at Station One.
Haddam’s three engines carry approximately 1.6 miles of hose, or about 2,800 feet each. An additional 5,000 feet of spare hose is kept at the station. All hose is tested annually to ensure that it’s functional, safe, and compliant with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Haddam Volunteer Fire Company hosted its 2nd annual Emergency Services Spring Fair & Open House on April 20. Participants met with members of HVFC and the Junior Division, the HVFC Auxiliary, Haddam Volunteer Ambulance, Inc., Connecticut State Police, HK Youth and Family Services, Relay for Life, and Homes for Heroes.
In addition, several children participated in the company’s inaugural Easter egg hunt.
For more information on becoming a member email membership@haddamfire.org.
