Anticipating Larger Fire Truck—

Hawleyville Volunteers Modify Firehouse

By Andrew Gorosko

With the prospect of some larger buildings being constructed in Hawleyville in the not-too-distant future, Hawleyville firefighters are planning for the possibility of battling blazes at tall structures.

Consequently, the Hawleyville volunteers recently made some changes to their masonry firehouse at 34 Hawleyville Road (Route 25) keyed to providing more flexibility for fire vehicle storage.

Those physical changes, which were made to southern face of the eastern end of the firehouse, modified vehicular access to the building, explained Hawleyville Volunteer Fire Company Chief Joe Farrell.

An area where there had been one approximately 20-foot-wide garage door was converted into an area where there are two garage doors, each of which is approximately 11 feet, 5 inches wide, he said.

The $30,000 worth of physical changes to the building were made in connection with the fire company’s plans to acquire a suitable used fire vehicle that would replace an existing 1976 Ford mini-pumper truck, said Chief Farrell. Some related internal physical changes within the firehouse also are planned.

The Ford fire truck would be replaced by a larger fire vehicle, possibly a full-size pumper truck, an aerial truck, or a quint-style multipurpose fire truck, he said.

Hawleyville firefighters have been reviewing the vehicles that are currently available on the used fire truck market. Considering that fire trucks are inherently expensive vehicles, a used fire truck may cost the fire company approximately $200,000, the chief said.

Such a vehicle would be owned by the fire company, which would pay for the vehicle through fundraising efforts and a loan, he explained. The fire company has about 30 active members.

The fire company currently uses four vehicles, two of which are owned by the volunteers and two of which are town-owned. The current complement includes the Ford minipumper and a heavy rescue truck, both of which are owned by the volunteers. The town-owned vehicles are a pumper truck and a tanker truck.

 The Hawleyville organization is one of five local volunteer companies. The other companies are Newtown Hook & Ladder, Dodgingtown, Sandy Hook, and Botsford. Each fire company uses some its own fire vehicles and uses some town-owned vehicles in providing local fire protection.

Chief Farrell said that a committee of Hawleyville firefighters is studying which type of fire truck would make for the best replacement for the 1976 Ford.

The prospect of having tall structures in Hawleyville, which figures into the volunteer fire company’s planning for the future, stems from a major residential developer’s preliminary proposal to build a 171-unit age-restricted condominium complex. That complex would be constructed at a depleted gravel mine off Mt Pleasant Road (Route 6), with vehicular access from a driveway at 166 Mt Pleasant Road.

Toll Brothers, Inc, has proposed to the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) a high-density multifamily complex which would include five apartment buildings that would stand more than 50 feet tall. The firm has not yet submitted a development application for the project.

Chief Farrell said the fire company is exploring conducting various fundraising projects toward the goal of acquiring a suitable fire vehicle to replace the 1976 Ford.