Cassandra Day
The Middletown Press, Conn.
(TNS)

Oct. 18—MIDDLETOWN — The Middletown Fire Department is looking into the feasibility of establishing a third station in the northern area of the city near the Cromwell town line not only to improve response time but also to handle new developments popping up on Route 3.

An analysis of the department and its infrastructure needs will be conducted to determine the best way to proceed.

A few things generated the idea, including the time it takes for downtown engines to travel to calls via Newfield Street (Route 3), a main route that is often congested, according to newly appointed Fire Chief Dave Albert.

Lack of space is also a significant consideration.

Middletown High School and other school buses cause heavy traffic on Route 3 twice daily, accidents can tie up two-lane Newfield Street, and rush hour often reduces travel to a crawl.

Like the city’s emergency dispatch center for fire, police, and medical emergencies surpassed its space capabilities years ago, causing cramped conditions, Albert said, so has the aging 533 Main St. firehouse built in 1899.

“We’re trying to come up with creative ways to maximize the space we have for the most frugal price,” he said.

A third station in the northern portion of the city has been needed for the past 15 years, the chief said. “It’s a big bite of the elephant to take on, per se,” he admitted.

“Tuttle Road, Little River (Lane), Woodlot (Lane) — that’s pretty much at the Cromwell line. Now, with all the developments going in on Newfield Street and added traffic, it’s even more imperative that we finally get that third station to make sure our response time meets industry standards,” he explained.

One of those developments is Springside Middletown off Newfield Street, where a 148-unit campus of apartment buildings and townhouses is under construction.

“Two cars a unit, maybe more, families are living there, husband and wife — all those on Newfield Street, plus more developments. That engine right now comes from downtown, and it’s got to go all the way to Tuttle Road,” some 4 miles away, the chief said.

“With more cars comes more chances of it happening,” Albert continued. “It’s only a two-lane road, and you’re going to add a lot more traffic there just for our fire trucks to get down safely. That’s another reason we want that third station on the opposite end.”

Fire vehicles often use busy Washington Street (Route 66) to get to Route 3. “We have to make sure we are eliminating that risk and making sure we can respond in a timely manner to any emergencies out that way,” he said.

Engine 1 at the Main Street station serves the downtown, North End, and some of Church Street, while Engine 3 covers Washington and Newfield streets to Tuttle Road.

Middletown Fire’s Cross Street Station 2 responds to emergencies at Wesleyan University, the blue section of the Wesleyan Hills housing development, South Main Street, Long Hill Road, and Wadsworth Street.

It’s out-of-date, has far outgrown its footprint, and was built some 50 years ago, Albert said.

“These stations once only housed four people max, where at (headquarters), we have seven to eight that live here 24/7, plus eight additional day staff members, so the (foot traffic) all day long is pretty high,” Albert said.

Cross Street has seven staff members plus several dispatchers, he said.

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Perryton Fire Department Assistant Chief Scott Glass died from injuries sustained at a structure fire.

Glass and two other firefighters were injured when a five-inch hose was being charged, got loose, and whipped around striking the firefighters. The incident occurred at about 10:44 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17. Glass was airlifted to Amarillo with serious head injuries, the Amarillo Globe-News reports, but passed away three days after the injury.

Volunteer firefighter Thomas Beal suffered a broken arm and other fractures. He is in stable condition. Volunteer firefighter Jacob Anderson also suffered minor injuries.

Visit the Amarillo Globe-News for more.

Apparatus Ideas Bob Vaccaro

In 1977, recognizing the need to provide emergency medical services (EMS) to the community of Walkersville, Maryland, a group of dedicated community leaders organized an ambulance service that would be independent from the Walkersville Fire Department.

After numerous donations, the ambulance company put several used ambulances in service and began serving the community in a space that was part of the community’s town hall.

In 1979, the department outgrew its space, and a new building was constructed with new equipment added each year, adding its first heavy rescue in 2001. The new squad was the company’s third squad apparatus. “While the rescue company operates as a separate entity from two different buildings, the fire department also shares numerous members and work together,” states Chief Topper Cramer.

“Presently we respond to 1,800 EMS calls with the squad responding to about 150 yearly responses for extrication work and RIT. Our response district covers 20 square miles for a first-due response and covers the City of Frederick, Maryland, which has a population of 20,000,” says Cramer. “We are like most response areas in the country, with strip shopping centers, single-family dwellings, four schools, two nursery schools, and apartments.” The organization has onepaid crew in house 24/7, according to Cramer, mainly for the ambulances but can respond with the squad.

Its old squad was a 2001 Pierce Quantum, and the rescue company was looking for more compartment space and better technology, which a new unit would provide. “Our truck committee started work in 2020 on specs for a new unit,” says Cramer. “We went out to bid and were happy that Pierce won the bid since we were familiar with its products and were also happy with the local dealer, Atlantic Emergency Solutions, which was great to deal with.”

Funding for the new squad came from EMS billing and members performing fund raising throughout the year, which Cramer says also helps a great deal with the rescue company’s operating efforts. “The new squad has mostly all battery-powered tools, hand tools, and extrication tools,” Cramer says. “Onboard, we have eight battery-powered AMKUS tools, lazy Susan mounted; a full complement of Paratech rescue struts; a man vs. machine kit; and DeWalt battery-powered hand tools, blowers, and chain saws.” The rig also carries several gas-powered K12 saws, forcible entry tools, RIT packs, and a full cascade system with eight 6,000-pound-per-square-inch (psi) bottles that can handle refilling numerous self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) cylinders at the scene of an emergency. “To also fulfill other obligations that we may encounter, we have a 25-gallon foam tank with two foam eductors, a 250-gallon-per-minute (gpm) pump, and a 300-gallon polypropylene tank with 200 feet of 1¾-inch handline,” adds Cramer. “If needed, we could handle a car fire at the scene of an au

Abigail Ham
The Keene Sentinel, N.H.
(TNS)

At the Marlow fire station on a recent rainy evening, water creeps under the doors. In heavy storms, the garage and offices sometimes flood. The department’s four vehicles are parked side by side behind the two bay doors — getting one out is a bit like a giant slide puzzle. There’s no space to walk behind the fire trucks, and some of the vehicle’s side compartments can’t be opened. The ceiling is stained with black mold.

The station is at least 100 years old — old enough that the building was once a blacksmith’s shop. It was also once a car dealership and auto service center, which left the site with undrinkable water.

Despite these problems, Fire Chief Sean Brewer doesn’t foresee the station being replaced anytime soon. He said the cost of building a new fire station is prohibitive for the town, which is home to about 750 people.

The problem isn’t unique to Marlow. Several local towns, including Hinsdale, Westmoreland, Walpole and Swanzey, have faced a similar issue, with aging fire stations unable to handle modern equipment and meet new health standards while the high price tags of new or upgraded stations pose a major obstacle.

Carcinogen concerns

Concern for first responders’ health and safety is the top reason towns need to upgrade or replace their fire stations, according to architect Michael Petrovick, who has worked on municipal fire station projects throughout the Monadnock Region.

Firefighters are exposed to a variety of toxins and carcinogens on the job, from diesel particulates from the trucks to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a group of more than 100 chemicals that can be released when materials burn, Petrovick said.

Firefighters are about 9 percent more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than the general public and about 14 percent more likely to die from it, according to research from the Centers for Disease Control’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

These risks have drawn attention from state lawmakers. In 2023, New Hampshire legislators passed Senate Bill 71, which designated cancer a “presumptive occupational disease” for firefighters. That designation makes it easier for firefighters diagnosed with cancer to access worker’s compensation benefits.

This year, legislators passed Senate Bill 352, setting aside $5 million to fund cancer screenings for firefighters.

To limit exposure to carcinogens, it’s important that firefighters are able to clean gear at the station immediately after returning from calls, according to Petrovick. Dirty gear stored in cars or washed at home can increase exposure.

The International Association of Fire Fighters and Firefighter Cancer Support Network’s best practices for reducing exposure to carcinogens recommend cleaning contaminated hoods, gloves, boots and helmets upon returning to the station. Ideally, personnel should also shower within an hour of coming back from a scene. In many small towns’ fire stations, following these recommendations is impossible.

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