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Our thoughts and prayers go out to the members of the Bridgeport Fire Department

and the friends and family members of Lieutenant Steve Velasquez and Firefighter

Michel Baik who tragically lost their lives yesterday battling a residential fire in the city

of Bridgeport.

Stamford Firefighters slated to lose jobs due

to another plan concoted by an uneducated

municipal government need your support

Please visit this website to stay informed on the situation in Stamford that will not

only risk the citizens lives and property but also increase the risk to the lives of the

firefighters sworn to protect them.

Stamford Fire Department Truths

Your Fire Department is in dire need of two

new fire engines

The members of the Stratford Fire Department are dedicated to provide the highest

level of safety to the citizens of Stratford. Your Fire Department is in dire need of two

fire engines to continue to adequately serve you, the citizens of Stratford. The

department has battled for years now trying to replace aging fire trucks that currently

serve in their fleet. The department has not received a new fire engine in over

7 years. The department recently formed a committee to purchase two fire engines

within the budget constraints set forth by the town’s administration. The committee

worked tirelessly to meet the needs of the department while understanding the

economical times of the town. The committee researched each fire engine

manufacturer to find fire engines that fit the needs of the department and the

community in which it will serve. When this research was completed the committee

made a decision that there were two engines that would fit the needs of the

department and the community. These two fire engines were presented to the

town council so that the council could approve the additional $5000 needed to

purchase the vehicles and for the $100,000 needed for the tools needed to properly

equip these engines. The council voted unanimously to approve the funding upon an

order from the Mayor due to the cost being over $7500, the amount allowed to be

spent, by ordinance, without competitive bidding. The total for the two fire

engines equipped with tools is $905,000. The price of the engine previously

bid was $670,000 for one engine. If a new engine is bid the price will increase at

least 10% due to new emission standards that will be in place for newly manufactured

fire engines. Purchasing the two fire engines presented is a savings of almost

$600,000 for the town. Also if a fire engine were to be bid we would not receive

the fire engine for up to a year due to manufacturing times. The town of Stratford

cannot wait that long to receive fire engines. The two engines, presented by the

committee of firefighters, are built and ready to serve the public now.

The Mayor has now refused to approve the spending and stated “I’m not going to

waive a quarter million dollars in bids when the Fire Department has fought for over

four years to get the specs the Fire Department says it needs,” Miron said

Wednesday, and that the situation did not constitute an emergency. (Stratford Star

11/12/09). The Executive Board feels that this comment is misleading and untrue.

The last two bid specifications that were released for the competitive bid

were done so by a company hired by the Mayor, not the firefighters, to

decide what fire engine would best suit the needs of the fire department

and the community.

Stratford town ordinance 14-4b reads; “In any other case where competitive bidding

is not required by law and either clearly is not practical or no advantage would result

to the Town by requiring competitive bidding, the Mayor may authorize the execution

of a contract without competitive bidding”

The competitive bid process is not practical due to the fact that the two fire engines

presented to the council are already built and therefore specifications cannot be

made. No advantage would result from bidding these fire apparatus because the

advantage of buying these two engines is they are available now, cost much less than

the bids that were previously received and will fit the needs of the fire department

and community.      

Stratford town ordinance14-7 reads; “Whenever an emergency exists by reason of

extraordinary conditions or contingencies that could not reasonably be foreseen and

guarded against or because of unusual trade or market conditions, the Purchasing

Department, with the approval of the Mayor, may, if it is deemed in the best interest

of the Town, waive the requirement that purchases be based on competitive bids as

provided in the foregoing sections hereof. The Mayor shall provide a statement of all

such purchases made under the provisions of this section to the Town Council”

The extraordinary condition that exists is the fire department is using three fire

engines that are in the last year of service, according to the Insurance Service

Organization, and has a spare fire apparatus that is 30 years old. If using a 30-year-old

fire engine or other municipality’s fire engines to provide fire protection to the citizens

of Stratford is not an emergency I am not sure what the Mayor would classify as an

emergency. We are currently in one of the worst economic times since the Great

Depression. Would that not be considered unusual trade or market conditions?

The committee, comprised of your Stratford firefighters, feels that the two

engines submitted to the council are the two engines that will best suit the

departments needs and your needs. The main objective of fire engines is to

take tools, firefighters, and water from point A to point B. When point B is

your home or the scene of your emergency you deserve to have reliable fire

engines respond. This is your fire department and the men and women that

make up this department are sworn to protect you, your neighbors, and

loved ones. Your fire fighters need the proper equipment and apparatus to

serve you effectively and efficiently without fail.

We urge you to contact the Mayor and your district councilman to express

your concern for this matter.

Stratford Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 998 Executive Board

Congratulations to John Harkins

The Stratford Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 998 would like to congratulate John

Harkins on winning the recent Mayoral election in the Town of Stratford.

John Harkins for Mayor

Citizens of Stratford, John Harkins is a candidate we feel very confident in to lead this

Town through the next four years. John is a trustworthy man, a family man, and has

dedicated a great part of his life serving the residents of his hometown of Stratford as

well as supporting a vast array of public safety issues as our Representative in the

Connecticut State Legislature. We are in wholehearted agreement with his mayoral

position on public safety. We feel that position below, speaks for itself: “The biggest

responsibility of local government is to ensure the protection and safety of its citizens.

The public must be ensured that its police and fire personnel are properly trained,

physically able, and given all the tools and resources necessary to protect the

taxpayers of Stratford. Politics has no place in public safety, and as Mayor I will ensure

that our police and fire professionals are allowed to do their jobs without inappropriate

pressure or political considerations imposed by Town Hall.”- John Harkins In endorsing

John Harkins we are putting our trust in him to lead our Town down a renewed path

of commitment to Public Safety and to ensure that the Stratford Fire Department will

be equipped to offer you, the residents of our Town, the type of Fire and Rescue

Services that you have come to expect and deserve. You have a choice on

November 3rd, and we ask you to use that choice to make the residents of our

Town more safe and secure. The Stratford Firefighters Union Local 998 strongly urges

you to cast your ballot for John Harkins for Mayor.

Sincerely yours,

The StratfordFirefighters Union - Local 998

Vincent Dunn Seminar

On October 24, 2009 from 8:30am-4:00pm the Stratford Professional Firefighters will

be hosting a Strategy and Tactics Seminar provided by

Vincent Dunn Deputy Chief (Ret.) FDNY.

Click Here for the full flyer and details

Woodend Rd Structure Fire

At approx. 19:45 hrs, E1, E5, E3, L1, C3 responded to a reported structure fire at

665 Woodend Rd. Police officers on scene stated there was smoke showing. Upon

arrival of C3 they stated they had light smoke from the eaves. E1 entered the house

to ind a working kitchen fire. L1 opened the roof providing vertical ventilation while

the Engine 5 crew stretched a backup line. There was a report the homeowner may

still be in the house so Engine 5 and Engine 3 conducted a prmary search which

proved negative. The fire was under control at approx. 19:54. Two dogs were saved

from the basement and there were no reported injuries.

Photos of the incident can be found here

Courtesy of Chuck DeCaro from www.fdphotos.com

Justice St Structure Fire

At approx. 08:13 hrs, E1, E5, E3, L1, C3 responded to a reported structure fire at

35 Justice St with reports of kids trapped in the house. While enroute E5 could see

heavy smoke from the area. Dispatched notified units that the kids may be in a back

bedroom. Upon arrival Engine 5 reported smoke showing from the second floor.

Engine 5's crew entered the house and performed a primary search which resulted in

finding one victim in a rear bedroom. Engine 1's crew performed a Vent, Enter,

Search of the rear bedrroom and assisted Engine 5's crew with moving the victim to

the stairs while one member of Engine 1 brought a line to the second floor to

extinguish the fire.. Engine 2's crew removed the victim from the house. One

additional vistim was found in the front room. Ladder 1 opened up the roof for

vertical ventilation and to entinguish a fire in the attic. Sadly two civilians died as a

result of this fire.

Photos of the incident can be found here

Courtesy of Chuck DeCaro from www.fdphotos.com

Car into Water

At approx. 17:55 hrs, E3, E5, E1, L1, C3, R1 with the Zodiac responded to a motor

vehicle accident with the motor vehicle reported to be in the water. Upon arrival E3

Lieutenant requested two ambulances to the scene and reported two victims

involved in the MVA. It was later discovered that the second person was a passerby

who had stop to assit the occupant of the vehicle in the water. It is reported that

the passerby help the occupants head above water until emergency crews arrived.

Engine 5 was used to stabilize the vehicle as crews donned cold water rescue suits to

remove the victim from the vehicle. At approx. 18:11 hrs the victim was reported to

be removed from the vehicle and was transported to Bridgeport Hospital by SEMS

Fairview Ave. Structure Fire

At approx. 10:13 hrs, E1, E2, E5, L1, C3 responded to a reported structure fire at 31

Fairview Ave. Car 3 arrived reporting heavy smoke from a 2 story wood house.

Command activated the structure fire protocol and requested E4 special called to the

scene for additional manpower. E1 entered the bulding to find heavy fire in the

basement of the structure. E5 crew stretched a second line and found fire on the

first floor with a partial floor collapse in the kitchen. At approx 10:26 hrs all visible fire

had been knocked down and crews continued ventilation along with salvage and

overhaul procedures. The fire was reported under control at 11:00 hrs.

Dock Marina Boat Fire

At approx. 01:05 hrs, E1, E5, L1, C3 responded to a reported boat fire at the Dock

Marina. Upon arrival Car 3 reported smoke showing from a 40ft vessel. E1 crews

stretched a 2 1/2" line to the vessel while the rest of the E1 crew attempted to gain

entry to the boat and perform a search of the vessel. Upon gaining entry to the boat

crews were unable to enter the vessel due to heavy smoke and fire conditions inside

the vessel. Two 1 3/4" attack lines, flowing foam, were utilized to knock down visible

fire. L1 crew assisted with the second line and opening up the vessel. Fire

extinguished at approx 03:00 hrs. There was one reported fatality as a result of the

fire.

Knowlton St Structure Fire

At approx. 16:40 hrs, E1, E2, E5, L1, C3 responded to a reported structure fire at 25

Knowlton St. Car 3 reported heavy fire and smoke from the residence upon arrival. E1

stretched an 1 3/4" line through the front door of the building while E5's crew

stretched a secondary line to the rear of the building. Inside crews found heavy fire

conditions on the first floor and a broken gas line in the kitchen. Crews were removed

from the structure until the gas was shut off and the integrity of the structure was

evaluated. Prior to crews arriving one civilian was removed from the first floor of the

residence by a neighbor. The occupant was treated for burns and smoke inhalation

and transported to Bridgeport Hospital by AMR. Command reported the fire under

control at 17:17 hrs. One civilian and one firefighter were injured at this fire.

Webe Ave Structure Fire

At approx. 15:11 hrs, E1, E5, L1, C3 responded to a reported chimeny fire at 70

Webe Ave. Upon arrival a third engine was requested to the scene and an update

was given that this was an attic fire with heavy fire in the attic. E1 stretched the inital

attack line as L1 went to the roof for ventilation. Interior crews experienced heavy

fire in the attic and had a difficult time accessing the attic. E5 stretched a second

attack line inside the structure. While attempting to vent the roof it collapsed and L1

had heavy fire through the roof and immediately vacated the roof. Crews were

removed from the building and the bulk of fire was knocked down using the master

stream on the aerial. Crews then reentered the building and finished extinguishing the

fire. There were no reported injuries.

Orange and Columbus Structure Fire

At approx. 18:45 hrs, E1, E5, E3, L1, C3 responded to a reported structure fire at

the corner of Orange and Columbus. Upon arrival C3 reported heavy smoke and fire

from a 2.5 wood house. E2 and E4 were added to the assignment. Crews stretched

multiple attack lines to all floors of the structure. They reported heavy fire on the

second floor and in the attic. One Engine from Bridgeport was requested to the

scene to act as RIT. One engine from Milford was called to man Stratford Fire HQ and

an off duty crew was called to staff the spare engine. Crews reported partial floo

r collapses on the second floor. The fire was reported under control at 20:23 hrs.

There were no reported injuries.

Liedle's Structure Fire

At approx. 15:13 hrs, E1, E5, E2, L1, C3 responded to a reported structure fire at

Liedle's, 337 Kenyon St. Upon arrival crews had nothing showing. E1 entered the

building and found a working fire in the basement. 1 line was stretched and the fire

was quickly knocked down. There were no reported injuries at this fire.

Oakland St. Structure Fire

At approx. 21:33 hrs, E1, E2, E5, L1, C3 were enroute to a reported

structure fire on Hollister St., when dispatchers received multiple calls for a working

structure fire on Oakland St. and were informed by the caller that Hollister St was

burnt food on the stove, C3 diverted E2, E5, L1 and added E4 to the assignment for

Oakland St. Upon arrival E5 stated they had heavy smoke from a structure. Upon

further investigation E5 reported they had a fully involved structure fire with multiple

exposures. Milford and Bridgeport were dispatched as mutual aid to cover Stratford

and Milford E4 responded to the scene of the fire. E3 clearing from a car fire also

responded to Oakland St. Multiple lines were used to protect the exposures and

extinguish the fire. There were no reported injuries.

Riverdale Dr Structure Fire

At approx 14:20 hrs E3, E1, E5, L1, C3 were dispatched to 509 Riverdale Dr for a

reported structure fire. Upon arrival E3 confirmed they had a working fire and C3

added E2 to the assignment as the RIT team. No injuries were reported.

While working this incident E2 was cleared from the scene to respond to a car fire 2

ft from the building at Autozone on Barnum Ave. Stratford requested mutual aid from

Milford for 1 engine and 1 ladder company to respond. The car fire was extinguished

and Milford Tower 1 assisted with checking the roof of the building for extension. No

injuries were reported.

River Rd. Extrication

STRATFORD -- An unidentified man was extricated from his vehicle Saturday

afternoon following a one-car crash on Route 110 just south of the Sikorsky Aircraft

factory, fire officials reported. The incident was reported at about 1:20 p.m., after

the driver, traveling south, made a sudden left turn in attempt to get on the

entrance ramp to the westbound section of the Merritt Parkway, then collided with a

utility pole. Assistant Fire Chief Ellen Murray said it took about 20 minutes to rescue

the man, described as being in his early 40s, from his Pontiac auto. Murray said the

man, who was using his seatbelt, was initially unconscious, but regained it during the

extrication. Murray described the driver as suffering from a concussion and facial

trauma. Murray said he was taken to Bridgeport Hospital. Police, who remained on the

scene until 4:30, refused to provide any details about the incident.

Fire Ops 101 updates

So far we have received "yes" responses from Councilman Henricks and

Councilman Moore. The Mayor, CAO, Councilman Julian, and Councilman

Kubic have notified us that they will not be able to attend the event. We will

hold this event again in the future and those involved in local politics that

would like to participate should contact Local 998 to be put on the list of

invitees.

Click here to see a video of Fire Ops 101 in Hartford

Residential Sprinkler Demonstration

The video below demonstrates the necessity for residential

sprinklers. This video is provided by FireRescue1.com

Sprinkler Demo

Stratford firetrucks need replacing

STRATFORD — Warnings were issued by fire officials to the Town Council and Mayor James R. Miron more than two months ago that public safety and the lives of firefighters were in jeopardy because of two aging firetrucks that frequently broke down.

Sometimes, fire officials said, some trucks broke down even on the way to fires.
Fire Chief John Cybart and Kevin Lantowsky, former president of the local firefighters' union, were backed by about 50 firefighters during a contentious March council meeting when they described how 17-year-old Engine 2, out of the Huntington Road station, had failed on its way to a fire at a five-story Broadbridge Avenue condominium complex.

Now, Cybart is seeking $650,000 in the capital improvement budget for new trucks. He said a new truck will take about a year to order and have built, but with the purchase of a used truck, the department could put that into immediate service to replace Engine 2. He said when the new truck arrives, the used truck could be used as the fleet's backup. But some town officials still aren't sure if and when the funds will be approved.

Town Council Chairman Michael Henrick, R-10, said he still wants to be "completely certain" that the town needs to obtain a brand new truck, but that if it does the council will move to approve it next month.
"If we have to do it, we will," Henrick said. "We're going to take a good look at all this in June after we complete the process for the 2008-09 operating budget this week."

Cybart said he's requesting a new $450,000 truck and a $200,000 used truck, and hopes with some of the recent events, the council will realize how dire the need is "before the equipment breaks down again and somebody gets hurt."

Things got so bad recently than that when two of its seven firetrucks were out of service, Stratford had to borrow a 1980 backup truck from the volunteer Shelton Fire Department for three days.
Cybart said, ironically, one of Stratford's trucks that needed repairs was the department's newest and most used piece of apparatus, the 2002 Engine 1, stationed at Fire Headquarters on Main Street.
He said the other engine out of service — which may not even be usable again — is the department's 29-year-old backup truck that is so antiquated that firefighters have to ride on it in the open air.
"It's a very serious problem because that truck is being evaluated, but may cost too much to repair it at this point," Cybart said. "Engine 2 has about 113,000 miles and is 17 years old. It should really be only used as a backup truck at this point, but right now we have no choice but to keep using it as part of the regular fleet of trucks."

New Fire Union President Bill Hansen, a firefighter who works at the Huntington Road station where Engine 2 is stationed, echoed the chief's sentiments about the dire need for new trucks. He said Engine 2, which covers the Bunnell High School area in the northwest part of town, is the second most used fire truck in the department.

"We have been very fortunate that no citizens or firefighters have been hurt," Hansen said. "But this is a serious problem that needs to be addressed."

Hansen said when Engine 2 broke down on the way to the Broadbridge condos in March, it could have resulted in a tragedy.

"Engine 2 has a 50-foot Arial ladder and it was supposed to serve as a backup in that fire," Hansen said. "Luckily, people had evacuated the condos in time and the other equipment at the scene was able to handle it. But we can't keep taking that chance."

Hansen said Engine 2 also leaks between five and 10 gallons of water an hour, and has three cracks in its ladder.

"We're constantly topping it off with water, but the leak can also be a safety hazard because the water is dripping down into the rear axle," he said. Councilwoman Amy Wanamaker, D-6, said she also warned the council and mayor in March that the firetrucks had to be replaced.

But at the time the mayor and Henrick said the council meeting was "not the appropriate time" to bring the issue up and should wait for the budget process.

They said that the matter was not handled correctly, saying fire officials and some council members, particularly Wanamaker, should not have brought firefighters to appear before the council.
Instead, the mayor and Henrick said the "proper procedure" would have been for Cybart and Wanamaker to contact the mayor directly and work through his office.

"I felt at the time the issue was so serious it had to be brought up, budget time or not," Wanamaker said. "After the department was recently forced to borrow a firetruck from another community, I believe I have been proven right."

The mayor said he "fully supports" seeking both a new firetruck, and a used one for the department.
"I have made the request to the council, and now it's up to them," Miron said.

Firefighters said replacing the engines is imperative.

"There is always the worry Engine 2 is going to break down," firefighter James Rose, who drives the truck daily, told the council in March.

Lantowsky, the former union president, said, "Every firefighter in this town takes pride in doing our job. But we need equipment we can count on to protect the public."

Firetruck demand ignites council fight

STRATFORD — Public safety is in jeopardy because the Fire Department's most frequently used firetruck, Engine No. 2, breaks down regularly and needs to be replaced immediately, fire officials told the Town Council.