In what was a tri-district training, members of the Center, City of West Haven-Allingtown, and West Shore Districts, gathered at our Elm Street headquarters as Neil Sweeting, Fire Chief of the MTA-Metro North Railroad presented on the key factors to familiarize ourselves with should we in the future need to respond to an emergency on the railway.
On April 23, 2024, our members in conjunction with numerous other agencies including but not limited to the New Haven SHARP Team, West Haven Emergency Dispatch, West Haven Police, West Haven Funeral Home, West Shore Fire Department, American Medical Response and West Haven High School conducted a mock crash meant for two purposes. First and foremost during this prom season, to dissuade students from reckless or impaired driving as the consequences of such a decision could as this drill demonstrated, be tragic and fatal. Second, it reinforced our department’s mission to always ensure our response tactics stay at top form by putting our extrication skills to good use.
Why Do We Call The Ladder Truck a ‘Truck’ But Not The Engine?
It dates back to the early days of the fire service when steam engines or pumpers were drawn by both hand or horse to and from structure fires. Though it would later evolve from steam engines to motors, the terminology would remain the same. The truck on the other hand is referred to as such because of its ladder onboard it whereas the engine does not have one. The truck carries specific technical rescue equipment such as forcible entry, ventilation, and specialized lighting tools meant for removing victims whereas the engine contains equipment exclusively for fighting fire such as water tanks or pumpers and hoses
Scenes from pump operations for our C-Shift members last month. You may notice there were two engines Involved in this training. One being our current Engine 21, the other being our grant funded new Engine 21, obtained through the Federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant which allows us to purchase equipment and apparatus, minimizing taxpayer burden. The new Engine 21 soon will go into service to serve Center District residents.
It was our pleasure to be invited as guest speakers at Amity Regional High School for their career day. On hand as special guests speakers to represent our department were Day Captain Jacob Urban, Firefighter/Paramedic Jeremiah Carrier, and Digital Services Specialist Mike Colón. Each member spoke on their respective roles and the many benefits a career in the fire service can provide. We once again extend our sincere thanks to the staff at Amity Regional High.
