Town’s Emergency Services Say

Fairfield Hills Isn’t For Them

By Steve Bigham

In the real estate business, the operative catch phrase is “Location. Location. Location.”

The same can be said for emergency services, which are constantly looking to improve their response times. With Fairfield Hills considered to be the geographic center of town, many residents believe it would make the logical location for some departments, especially since the town is likely to buy the property and the large firehouse there, which First Selectman Herb Rosenthal is looking to have added to the package currently being offered by the state.

But Newtown Hook & Ladder, Newtown Police, and the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps have let it be known that Fairfield Hills is the wrong location for them. None of these departments want anything to do with Fairfield Hills – even Hook & Ladder, which is on the verge of becoming homeless. It all comes down to logistics, they say.

Hook & Ladder officials say Fairfield Hills lies too far off the center of their fire district. They say the existing Fairfield Hills firehouse is simply too far away from certain parts of their district, including the far reaches of Hanover Road.

Hook & Ladder’s building behind Edmond Town Hall is in poor structural condition and it has been recommended that the structure be razed.

Several residents, including Hook & Ladder Chief Dave Ober, have indicated that Fairfield Hills might be an ideal place for the police. After all, they say, police cruisers are usually already out on patrol when a 911 call comes in. But the police department has stated that it wishes to remain at Town Hall South at the intersection of Route 25 and Route 302.

“I’ve heard from both the current and prior chiefs as well as officers who, while they may not like the buildings, say the department’s current location is extremely desirable,” noted Mr Rosenthal.

Members of the Newtown Ambulance Association, which governs the ambulance corps, last year indicated they were interested in moving the ambulance garage to Fairfield Hills. However, the ambulance corps, which is made up of the actual EMTs, says, “No way.” They prefer to stay at the existing location at 47 Main Street even though Fairfield Hills is considered a more central location.

Mr Rosenthal has stated that Fairfield Hills might be a more centralized location for town wide emergency response. However, some corps members say Fairfield Hills is not ideal at all.

“It might help with our response time to Sandy Hook, but that’s the only place,” noted one corps member.

Some members believe trying to negotiate an ambulance through Fairfield Hills might lengthen some response times.

Mr Rosenthal said the building at Fairfield Hills is large enough to house both fire and ambulance departments. If nothing else, Mr Rosenthal said, the facility could someday house a paid fire department, which many believe will need to be formed sometime within the next 10 years.