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Geoff Herald
Fire Chief
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TJ Wiedl
Deputy Fire Chief
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| Address: |
19 New Street
Danbury, CT 06810 |
| Phone: |
203-796-1550 |
About Us:
The Danbury Fire Department is an all hazard emergency response agency. Fire suppression is our core mission but not the only thing we do. On any given day, our members might respond to a structure fire, provide medical assistance at a motor vehicle accident, assist a stranded motorist or give oxygen to a rescued pet. The primary focus of the Department is providing great customer service on every call.
When people call 911 we know they have an emergency or they are in trouble but we must determine who can help. If it is for a police matter or ambulance, the call goes to these agencies. Everything else stays with us. We respond to medical calls, water leaks, flooding, odors, alarms, fallen trees, aircraft crashes, motor vehicle accidents and people trapped under ground, above ground, on roofs and just about anywhere. This year our 9-1-1 center answered over 38,000 calls. This resulted in 3,127 fire responses and an additional 3,755 “first responder” (fire and medical) responses.
Your Fire Department is highly trained and educated. Firefighters go through a rigorous process to be appointed to the department and then continually attend various educational forums throughout their career. This continuing education is vital to our mission and is encouraged and supported. College programs are regularly presented in headquarters to provide our members with easy access to education. Department members hold certificates from the National Fire Academy, the State of Connecticut and independent training groups. Many of our members hold advanced degrees ranging from Associates to Masters Degrees.
The Department Career Division is currently comprised of one hundred and twenty 123 individuals in 5 locations. Six engine companies and a truck company are fully staffed and manned 24/7. The department is also a keystone in the states’ regional response plan with a number of resources of the state being housed in Danbury. These resources will respond to the region and will be staffed by Danbury firefighters.
A second primary component of the Department is the Volunteers contingent. These men and women serve the community of Danbury in various capacities as members of twelve volunteer companies. They serve as Firefighters but also as Fire Police and apparatus engineers. Members of these volunteer companies frequently respond to mutual aid calls in other municipalities, frequently providing water tankers. These members undergo rigorous training and are an integral part of the Department. As volunteers, they are unpaid yet give freely of their time to protect our citizens.
Our Accomplishments:
In April the Fire Department hosted a region and county wide emergency response drill. This drill simulated a large fire response needing tanker water shuttles to supply water. This drill eventually involved the participation of 9 municipalities. The drill was successful and illustrates the capabilities of the fire services to cooperate and react to potential mutual aid situations.
The Department is meeting the challenges of potential terrorism head on. Danbury is a member of the Region 5 response network. The development of regional Technician level Hazardous Materials team is complete and this increased preparedness level has positioned us well. This team comprises three battalions of responders from Waterbury, Torrington and Danbury.
Numerous grant opportunities and state programs have assisted the Department in acquiring specialized equipment. We provide manpower to operate and support a number of state and regional resources, including a Hazardous Material response vehicle, foam trailer, a Mass DECON trailer and Mass Casualty trailer. Squad 1, our heavy rescue type vehicle, is in service and proving to be invaluable. This vehicle is a specialized apparatus transporting rescue tools and equipment to the scene of the incident. This allows our crews to more effectively serve our citizens and mutual aid partners.
Public education continues throughout the community with mock crash simulations in local high schools, Juvenile Fire Setter Intervention programs, File of Life senior citizen programs and our Babysitters Program. This program, presented in conjunction with Danbury Hospital, is in its 25th year and has graduated over 2,300 students. A major initiative within the city has placed automatic defibrillators in municipal buildings and schools. These initiatives, combined with our inspection and suppression duties, assist in making the quality of life in the City of Danbury among the best in the nation.
Over the past few years the department has experienced significant growth and change. Since the addition of 40 new personnel during the last three years, there has been a continuous effort to train and recertify our department. This effort involves specialized training in hazardous materials, technical rescue and general firefighting responsibilities. Much time has been spent over the past year focused on driver and apparatus operator training. The process for fully integrating and training newly hired firefighters to the level required is a five year endeavor.
As the city grows, the department continues to train and educate our members. Despite external fiscal pressures this year, we plan to maintain our current service levels. The citizens of Danbury have a Fire Department that is equipped and prepared to fulfill our mission of preserving life and protecting property. Working together, the Department, Career and Volunteer, and the city will meet the community’s demand for excellence in fire and rescue service.