The Woodbury Fire Department took a break to host a Valentines holiday breakfast for townsfolk on Jan 15th after 70 calls in the first six weeks of the year. The breakfast was amidst callouts responding to fires, car crashes, and other emergencies ranging from a propane truck that slid off the road to preparation for rescue from iced-over streams.
In photo 1 Eugene Blanchett and his family tuck into pancakes and side dishes at the Valentine’s Day breakfast hosted by the Woodbury Volunteer Fire Dept Feb 15th. Mr. Blanchett is a volunteer with the Woodbury Ambulance Association.
In photo 2 Woodbury Fire Captain Corey Shaker checks for emergency messages on his cell phone at the department’s Valentines pancake breakfast for townsfolk on Feb 15th. Opposite him at the back right is Southbury Fire Chief Bob Hamila. Two Southbury fire lieutenants are in the front seats.
In photo 3 Woodbury Firefighters respond to a propane delivery truck that slid off the icy road at the start of the Valentine weekend. “Fortunately, that’s all there was to it,” says Fire Chief Janet B. Morgan. “No injuries, no boom.”
In photo 4 Woodbury Firefighter Zach Sweet grabs a rescue rope during a cold-water drill in the icy slush of Pomperaug River the freezing night of Feb 17th. “We drill and drill, says Deputy Fire Chief Dave Lampart. “The training means we know exactly what to do in a fire or rescue operation.” When not donning firefighting gear, Mr. Sweet works in pest control and Mr. Lampart is an executive with a multi-station FM radio group.
“For the last several years we’ve been called out at about one run a day,” Chief Morgan said. “But so far this year we’ve been responding at a fifty percent increase over that average,” she concluded. “It’s been a busy winter.”
