Volunteer fire houses across Connecticut opened their doors to the public, Sunday. Their goal was to recruit more members.
“We have a shortage of volunteers across the state,” says South Windsor Volunteer Fire Chief Kevin Cooney.
Cooney also serves as president of the Connecticut Association of Fire Chiefs. He says, if you live in Connecticut there’s a good chance the firefighter coming to save your home is a volunteer.
“Eighty-three percent of the firefighters in Connecticut are volunteers.”
Cooney says family and career commitments are leading to a drop in volunteers at departments across the state.
During Sunday’s open houses, potential recruits got to witness demonstrations, try on gear, and ask members why they give back their time to the department.
“I love running into a fire,” says Captain Greg Roberts, who also heads up the South Windsor Volunteer Fire Department’s Fire & Life Safety Program.
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Since not everyone shares Captain Greg Roberts’ feelings for running into a burning building there are other volunteer rolls as well.
Dorothy McDonald doesn’t go to any fires; she goes into the classroom to teach kids to stop, drop, and roll.
“We really feel like we’re accomplishing something when we’re teaching everybody about fire safety,” says McDonald.
When it was time for Roger Hildebrand to hang up his hose, he found another way to give back, by taking pictures at emergency calls.
“I can participate in all the activities, plus I get to go to the fires,” says Hildebrand, who serves as the volunteer department’s chief photographer.
From keeping crews hydrated at the scene as a relief volunteer, to helping with computers back at the fire house in IT, the Chief says the rolls are as varied as you would find in a business setting.
Roberts, who has served as a volunteer firefighter for a decade says it’s important that more people find ways to give back to their communities.
“So many times people don’t make the time because they say they don’t have it, but we all have it,” Roberts says.
If you weren’t able to make it out to an open house near you, you can still contact the volunteer fire house in your community to learn about signing up.
The fire houses will be open from 10-2 all across Connecticut. See the full list below:
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
Fairfield County
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
