To publicly recognize and grant awards to its volunteer members whose performance has been exemplary, Hook & Ladder Company, No 1, also known as Newtown Hook & Ladder, on Sunday, August 19, held a ceremony in their honor.

Making way for the event, the fire company rolled its vehicles out of their spacious bays at the 12 Church Hill Road firehouse, clearing the cavernous space for the ceremony attended by several dozen people. Fire Chief Chris “Tug” Ward, 1st Assistant Chief Jason Rivera, and 2nd Assistant Chief Joseph Miller officiated.

Fire company officials explained that they have not had such awards ceremonies in the past, so some of the awards granted date back to the late 1980s.

In describing the company’s awards system, Chief Ward explained the five types of awards granted by the organization. They are the Medal of Honor, Medal of Valor, Medal of Merit, Unit Citation, and Life Saving Citation. Any member of the fire company may nominate another member for an award.

Lieutenant David White and Chief Engineer Michael Aurelia received a unit citation for their work at an early morning fire on December 8, 2013, at a home at 31 Boulevard. With no supervision from a fire officer and under adverse conditions, the two firemen extinguished heavy fire on the first and second floors, resulting in the burning building being saved from destruction. At that fire, two police officers rescued two unconscious people from inside the building.

Chief Engineer Michael Aurelia, Firefighter Tim Hoeffel, and Lt David White received a unit citation in connection with an evening fire on November 15, 2011, at 46 Main Street. A large barn was fully involved in flames, and the fire was spreading to an occupied house. Without the direct supervision of a fire officer, the men entered the house and put out the fire, preventing what would have been a major property loss.

In the early morning hours of December 30, 2010, Chief Ray Corbo responded to an automatic aid call in Sandy Hook for a structure fire at a home at 16 Philo Curtis Road. He positioned a ground ladder to gain access to the second story, located an unconscious woman, and removed her from the building amid heavy smoke conditions. Mr Corbo was awarded the Medal of Merit for his actions.

Late on the night of December 2, 2010, 14 members of the fire company responded to the area of 87 South Main Street to extricate the occupant of a minivan who had become pinned in that vehicle after a collision with a tractor-trailer truck. The firefighters used many tools to extricate the trapped person, who was transported to the hospital for treatment of injuries. A unit citation was awarded to Chief Engineer Aurelia; Firefighter Richard Camejo, Jr; Firefighter Tom Cassin; Chief Ray Corbo; Firefighter Chris Gindraux; Firefighter Dan Gindraux,; Firefighter Tim Hoeffel; Firefighter Ross Janutolo; Chief Engineer Rob Manna; Assistant Chief Joseph Miller; Chief Jason Rivera; Firefighter Brian Sharnick; Chief Chris Ward; and Lieutenant David White.

During the early morning hours of Saturday, September 27, 2003, a gasoline tanker truck collided head-on with a sport-utility vehicle on South Main Street, creating a huge, long-lasting fire. Placing himself at great risk, Assistant Chief Joseph Miller rescued the injured driver of the SUV from the accident scene, saving the life of the driver. The fire company thus awarded Mr Miller the Medal of Valor.

The fire company awarded Chief Michael McCarthy three Medals of Merit for his work in July 1993, December 1988, and November 1988 to rescue from the Church Hill Road overpass above Interstate 84 persons who were threatening to jump from that bridge to the highway below. In those cases, Mr McCarthy donned a rope rescue harness and then was lowered to the person threatening to jump, secured that person, and was safely lowered with the person to the highway below.

The ranks that are listed for the same firefighters may vary because they held different ranks at different times.