Crime & Safety
Driver Swerves to Avoid Opossum; Crashes Into Several Trees
The Haddam Volunteer Fire Company responded to 37 calls in March 2016. Here is their full report.
Members of the Haddam Volunteer Fire Company responded to 37 calls for emergency services in March 2016.
- Fires, Alarms, etc. – 9
- Motor Vehicle Accidents – 4
- Medical – 22
- Other – 2
Avoiding an Opossum
The Haddam Volunteer Fire Company responded to multiple motor vehicle accidents during the month of March. On March 5, a driver heading west towards Route 9 on the 82 connector swerved to avoid striking an opossum, drove off the road and crashed into several small trees.
The driver was taken to Middlesex Hospital via Haddam Volunteer Ambulance Service with what appeared to be minor injuries.
Saybrook Road Accident
On March 13, a driver heading northbound on Saybrook Road lost control of her vehicle and crashed into a tree near Camp Bethel Road. Firefighters and EMTs evaluated the driver on scene. The driver was transported to Middlesex Hospital via Haddam Volunteer Ambulance for evaluation.
Car Crashes Into Woods
On March 19, firefighters provided patient care to a patient who crashed into a utility pole and woods. The patient was then transported to Hartford Hospital with minor injuries.
Brush Fires
The company also responded to four reports of outside smoke or brush fires. On March 7, firefighters were dispatched to Little City Road where a homeowner was burning debris in a 55 gallon container. The fire was deemed safe and under control.
The month concluded with a two acre brush fire on March 31 on Wiese Albert Road. HVFCo. — along with Durham Volunteer Fire Company and Middletown South District — discovered that the fire started by a homeowner who was burning debris in a backyard fire pit. Wind spread embers, which ignited an adjacent area of woods and fire rapidly spread. Firefighters immediately protected nearby exposures including a neighbor’s wooden shed and nearby homes.
Training
Drills this month included Rapid Intervention Training (RIT), packing and deploying a hose in a high-rise structure and apparatus checks.
Officers also trained firefighters how to use a new SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) cylinder refilling station. The new equipment replaces a 20-year-old air storage system housed at Station One that needed costly repairs.
Community Service
EMT Rose Eberl went above and beyond the call of duty. While the driver of a motor vehicle accident was taken to Middlesex Hospital on March 13, Eberl volunteered to bring the patient’s frozen groceries home to her family so the meat wouldn’t spoil.
"I told the woman that she needed to worry less about her groceries and more about her health,” Eberl said. “So I offered to take the frozen meat back to her kids. After the call was cleared, I went to the woman’s home and met her son. I said I was with the fire department and 'your mom was adamant about getting this hamburger home to you. Please put it in the refrigerator' and he promised he would," Eberl said.
Members of the Haddam Volunteer Fire Company Auxiliary held their annual Easter Flower Sale on March 24-25 at the Village Plaza in Higganum.
“We’d like to thank everyone who came out to support us,” said Auxiliary President Mary Nork. “We once again had a successful sale and will continue the tradition of supporting local groups and organizations with the monies collected."
Membership
This month, HVFCo. partnered with FireFighterApp.com to create an easy to use, online application system for potential members. The software’s president, Sean Cassidy, is a Haddam resident and offered the software free of charge.
“In this day in age, no one wants to fill out a paper application and mail it in. New member applicants can go to our website, click on a link and apply to be a member in minutes,” said Lt. John Kuzminski, chair of HVFCo.’s Membership Committee. “We’re hoping this expedites the entire application process and helps us recruit members.”
HVFCo. already received three applications for membership through the online process.
New Members Sought
Haddam Volunteer Fire Co. is seeking new members for the role of Firefighter, Fire Police and Non-Fireground Support. Visit the Haddam Fire Co. website for more information or to apply.
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