Enfield

Enfield Firefighters to Meet Man They Rescued From Frigid Connecticut River After Canoe Capsized

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Enfield Fire Rescue
District 1
Chief Edward N. Richards
200 Phoenix Ave.,Enfield, CT 06082

For Immediate Release

Friday, March 8, 2019

Media Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Enfield Firefighters to Meet Man They Rescued From Frigid Connecticut River After Canoe Capsized

ENFIELD, Connecticut — Fire Chief Edward Richards is pleased to announce that two firefighters who rescued a man after his canoe capsized in the Connecticut River will meet the man at the Enfield Fire Station for the first time since his rescue next week.

The firefighters will be presented with letters of commendation from the chief to recognize them for their efforts.

WHEN:

Monday, March 11, at 3 p.m.

WHERE:

Enfield Fire District 1 Station 1, 200 Phoenix Ave.

WHO:

  • Enfield Fire Lt. Edward Shirley and Captain Donald Ellis
  • Enfield resident John Caldwell, the man who was rescued

WHAT:

On Monday, Enfield Fire Lt. Edward Shirley and Captain Donald Ellis will meet the man they rescued last week after his canoe capsized in the Connecticut River.

At approximately 10 a.m. Sunday, March 3, John Caldwell, of Enfield, was in a canoe by himself when it capsized between the Parsons Road boat launch and Kings Island.

Caldwell swam through the frigid water to a small island near Kings Island and was unable to recover his canoe. A witness called 911 and members of the Enfield Fire Department responded.

Lt. Shirley and Captain Ellis arrived at the scene a short time later with the department’s hovercraft and drove the amphibious vehicle across the water to Caldwell.

Caldwell was brought aboard the hovercraft and was taken safely back to shore.

While, according to the National Weather Service, the high temperature for last Sunday was 43 degrees in Enfield, the water temperature was much colder.

Caldwell was treated by paramedics on-scene and was then taken by ambulance to St. Francis Hospital in Hartford due to exposure to the cold temperatures in the water. He was later released.

“Given that he was not wearing a life jacket, this man was fortunate to have been able to swim over to the island he ended up on and thankfully a witness saw what happened and called 911,” Chief Richards said. “I would like to commend our firefighters who quickly sprang into action to make sure he safely got back to shore and remind everyone who is out on a water craft to please wear your life jackets and utilize proper safety protocols.”

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Enfield Fire Department Encourages Residents to Test Smoke and CO Alarms During Daylight Saving

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Enfield Fire Rescue
District 1
Chief Edward N. Richards
200 Phoenix Ave.,Enfield, CT 06082

For Immediate Release

Thursday, March 7, 2019

Media Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Enfield Fire Department Encourages Residents to Test Smoke and CO Alarms During Daylight Saving

Daylight Saving Time Begins Sunday at 2 a.m.

ENFIELD, Connecticut — Fire Chief Edward Richards and the Enfield Fire Department wish to remind residents to test their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors this weekend as daylight saving time approaches.

Daylight saving time begins Sunday, March 10 at 2 a.m.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), having working smoke alarms reduces the risk of dying in a fire by 50 percent and, on average, three out of every five fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

The Enfield Fire Department asks that all business owners not only change the batteries in their clocks, smoke or carbon monoxide detectors, but also replace the batteries on wall mounted emergency lights and exit signs. All businesses should have emergency backup lighting as a safety feature to provide temporary lighting in case of power failure.

In order to continue to keep your home safe and prevent fires, Chief Richards recommends that residents follow safety tips outlined by NFPA:

  • Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms at least once a month using the test button. Replace alarms immediately if they don’t respond properly when tested.
  • Replace batteries in smoke and CO alarms when you change your clocks.
  • Replace all smoke alarms when they reach 10 years old. Replace CO detectors according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • CO alarms should be installed in a central location outside each sleeping area, on every level of the home, and in other locations where required by applicable laws, codes or standards. For the best protection, interconnect all CO alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound.
  • If the CO alarm sounds, immediately move to a fresh air location outdoors or by an open window or door. Make sure everyone inside the home is accounted for. Call for help from a fresh air location and stay in that spot until emergency personnel arrive.
  • Develop and practice a home escape plan with all members of the household.

For more information on smoke detector and CO alarm safety, visit the NFPA website or contact the Enfield Fire Department at 860-745-1878.

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*Media Advisory* Enfield Fire Department Encourages Residents to Attend Upcoming Meetings Regarding New Apparatus

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Enfield Fire Rescue
District 1
Chief Edward N. Richards
200 Phoenix Ave.,Enfield, CT 06082

For Immediate Release

Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

*CALENDAR LISTINGS*

Enfield Fire Rescue District 1 Encourages Residents to Attend Upcoming Meetings Regarding New Apparatus

ENFIELD, Connecticut — Fire Chief Edward Richards would like to encourage residents to attend two important meetings this month regarding the District’s proposal to purchase to two new apparatus.

“We are asking District voters to approve funds to allow us to replace the two oldest vehicles in our fleet,” Chief Richards said. “Our pumper truck is 27 years old and our aerial ladder truck is 31 years old. While these vehicles have served our department well, both have exceeded their projected lifespan by 6 to 7 years, and the new apparatus would allow us to better serve our community and improve firefighter safety.”

WHEN:

Informational Meeting – Jan. 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Special District Meeting – Jan. 17 at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE:

Both meetings will be held at the Enfield Fire Department District 1 Headquarters, 200 Phoenix Ave.

WHAT:

The meeting on Jan. 10 will be an informational meeting where Chief Richards will present information about the proposed apparatus purchases and the apparatus being replaced.

The apparatus sought for replacement are:

  • 1991 Pierce Arrow Pumper
  • 1988 Pierce Arrow 110’ tower ladder

If funding is approved, the District will sell the older apparatus and the vehicles would not be held in reserve or spare status.

The vehicles the District are seeking to purchase would be manufactured by Pierce Manufacturing, a Wisconsin-based company.

The new pumper would have a six-person cab with air conditioning and emergency medical personnel support cabinetry that allows for EMS to have easier access to the vital equipment and resources they need while out on a call.

The new pumper would also take on a bigger assignment role than its predecessor by reducing the demands on other apparatus that currently experience very heavy usage.

The new aerial ladder would carry six crew members and is a near-direct replacement of the current truck. However, the new truck would come with a 300 gallon water tank, air conditioning and capability to pump more gallons of water per minute.

The projected cost to purchase the pumper would be $825,000 and the cost of the aerial ladder truck would be $1.4 million.

The meeting on Jan. 17 would be a Special District Meeting where voters of the District would determine whether or not to approve the purchase of the new apparatus as proposed by Chief Richards and the Fire Commissioners.

The committees for these vehicles started working on the specifications and exploring options in 2013. Several hours of research and design considerations have gone into developing the final proposal to voters.

The district’s current fleet of vehicles includes two engines, two quints, one aerial ladder truck, a quick attack pumper, a brush truck and a heavy rescue engine.

In 2018 the department handled 1,260 calls of various types, almost 500 of which were calls requiring engines to respond and the rest were medical or alarm calls handled by one or two companies or a duty officer.

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