The NFVFD is a Volunteer Fire Department that also provides the town’s emergency medical services. The department consists of three fire companies to cover each area of New Fairfield.
In the west end, Ball Pond Fire Company responds from Fairfield Drive. Ball Pond Fire Co. houses a class A two-stage pumper, a 1850 gallon tanker, and a shallow water boat & rescue boat.
In the center of town between Consolidated School and the Police station is Fire Company A. This eight bay building holds two class A pumpers, a rescue truck, a 3,000 gallon tanker, a 1,750 gallon tanker, two ambulances, and a 1934 fire engine. The department’s ladder truck is also kept at the Co A building.
To the north, Squantz Engine Company responds from Rt 39 directly adjacent to Squantz Pond State Park. Squantz Eng. Co. houses the apparatus of one class A pumper fire engine, one class A tanker/pumper fire engine, brush truck, and a marine boat. Squantz also maintains the department fire/rescues boat that is docked at the town park.
NFVFD provides emergency medical service (EMS) through a combination of volunteer EMTs (emergency medical technicians), volunteer MRTs (medical response technicians), a staff paramedic dedicated to New Fairfield, and a staff EMT 7 days a week from 6 am to 6pm shift. Our two ambulances are kept in the Company A firehouse.
Some of us are both firefighters and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT). Many of us are one or the other. We encourage training and certifications in both firefighting and EMS, but do not require it. In fact there a many of us that volunteer at a non-emergency level. There are many ways to be a part of the fire department team aside from responding to emergency calls, such as administrative, mechanical, fund raising, to list only a few.
We train at many different levels. Volunteers are encouraged to go to state certified training where one would go to classes to learn the academics and the practical field education, and there is also our in-house weekly training. Most aspects of our tasks and duties require state training, but it is not enough. On Monday nights we train on our fire engines, ambulances, and around the town. You might have seen us at a water source, hydrant, or public building such as the high school. Our members attend as many Monday training sessions as possible, so they can to learn and stay up to date on skills in fighting fires, vehicle extrication, trauma and medical care and so much more.
So many parts of our lives are taken for granted when there is no reason for concern. Our friends, family and homes are often overlooked in the bustle of daily life. But, when something goes amiss, the whole world around you comes to a screeching halt and you must deal with the emergency. That is when we come to your aid, dropping everything in our lives to help you. We leave from dinner, a hobby, and from our sleep in the middle of the night. A few of us even leave our jobs to be of assistance to the community. It may be an automatic fire alarm, carbon monoxide alarm, house fire, automobile accident, or an emergency medical call. It may be only a few minutes before we return to our daily lives or it may be many hours.