Newtown is 60 square miles of developed suburbia, rural farmland, and stretches of state highway. Despite its size and population, some may find it surprising to know that Newtown’s five separate fire companies are all volunteers. Neighbors helping neighbors, and residents from surrounding towns stepping up to fill the gaps when mutual aid is needed.

The United States is in a predicament: there is rising demand for firefighters, yet many companies across the nation rely on unpaid volunteers to run into burning buildings, respond as an EMT, extricate people from crashes, and respond to other emergencies. Newtown is no stranger to rising demand, as well as to a drop in volunteerism, and it can be seen in the fire reports.

Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue (SHVFR) Company Chief Anthony Capozziello says the drop has been about one member every year for 20 years. Each fire chief hummed the same tune: no one has time to volunteer these days.

Dodgingtown Volunteer Fire Company Number 1 Chief Steve Murphy said he has about 20 members in the company.

“It’s adequate for 95% of what we do,” Murphy said of his volunteer force. “It is a nationwide problem. Every community is … considering what to do about this. You can’t create more time for people to be willing to volunteer.”

Newtown Hook & Ladder Company #1 Chief Ray Corbo explained 75% to 80% of the country has a volunteer fire service. Only big cities, like Waterbury, Hartford, and Norwalk, have paid career fire service.

“A lot of people do not know that … So, now you have 75 to 80% of the country that is not covered by a career, full-time fire department. That being said, it’s getting close to being in a crisis stage, especially weekdays during the day. It’s not like it used to be,” Corbo said.

Corbo joined Hook & Ladder in 1988, when he was 16 years old. He described Newtown as being a more farming-based, blue-collar town at the time, with residents working jobs that they were allowed to leave if the fire bell rang.

“That’s not the case anymore. We don’t have those people or those employers anymore,” Corbo said.

Hook & Ladder’s call volume has taken off over the past few years, too. Newtown's oldest fire company receives about 500 to 700 calls a year, Dodgingtown about 200 a year, Hawleyville Fire Rescue about 270 to 300 a year, Botsford Fire Rescue about 365 a year, and Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue (SHVFR) about 600 a year. That is over 1,500 fire calls a year across five departments.

Murphy explained that due to the increase in call volume and lack of time for volunteers, during the weekdays two companies are typically toned out to respond to any call. Capozziello said not only do weekday calls require two companies, but sometimes mutual aid is called from other towns.

“When a large incident occurs, it takes many additional towns to accomplish the required task, which can easily strip an entire region of its resources,” Capozziello said.

Botsford Fire Rescue Chief Kyle Placko said he would have enough volunteers to cover the call demand, if everybody on his roster did not have a job. While Placko is grateful to have his volunteers, he noted that a lot of them are retirees. Nevertheless, Placko said those volunteers are great because they are around during most weekdays and therefore can respond quickly to calls. They also have more experience than younger firefighters. They do have a shorter “lifespan” in terms of fire service, however, the chief noted.

This is something seen across all five fire companies. As mentioned above, Dodgingtown has about 20 members, but not all Firefighter 1 certified. Firefighter 1 certification means firefighters are certified to enter burning buildings and put out fires. They also have medical and other specialized training above what the local fire companies provide to their members.

Hawleyville has about 34 volunteers, but only about 12 are active firefighters. The trend is townwide: SHVFR has around 50 members, but only about 25 are active firefighters; Hook & Ladder also has about 50 members, 30 of which are active firefighters; and Botsford has about 30 total members, with about 15-20 active firefighters. That leaves all 60 square miles of Newtown with less than 100 Fire I certified firefighters.

Delays In Response

Hawleyville is in a particular predicament as its district is being built up significantly. Dave Janofsky is the chief of Hawleyville, but he is not a Newtown resident. Janofsky lives just over the border in Brookfield, and when he is not volunteering his time for Hawleyville, he is a career firefighter in Norwalk.

Cliff Beers, president of Hawleyville Fire Rescue, said the company has about 1,500 people on its mailing list. Due to several apartment and housing developments in the area, however, there are closer to 4,000-5,000 thousand residents actually in the district.

Liberty at Newtown, a 55+ living community; Maplewood at Newtown, an assisted living and memory care facility; Covered Bridge Apartments; Newtown Woods, a separate 55+ living community; and the recently approved Kelmendi Apartments all fall within Hawleyville’s district. There is also the proposed Summit at Newtown, which would add an additional 100 units, or residents, into Hawleyville’s district. Not only are there lots of medical calls coming from the many adult communities, there are also a few miles of Interstate 84 that pass through Hawleyville.

“So let’s back this up then," said Janofsky. "Think about ten years ago, where Hawleyville was. The building that we have with the members that we have with the trucks that we have, and primarily single-family residential homes."

"Over the past ten years, we’ve got 178 units in Brookside Court … 210 units put in at the Covered Bridge Apartments … Liberty is also 55 and older, and that’s 96 units,” he added.

Janofsky continued detailing the number of rental units in Hawleyville, touching on proposed developments in the area as well. He said there are almost 1,000 units in Hawleyville between applications working their way through Planning & Zoning and what is available now. Not only are there potentially 1,000 new residents, he noted there could be two or three people living in an apartment, raising the total to two or three thousand additional people in Hawleyville.

“Our district, I believe, is the fastest growing district in the town right now … it’s hard for us to prepare for it,” Janofsky said.

With potentially thousands of new residents moving into Newtown, it is not difficuilt to imagine that call volume will increase for Hawleyville. Increased call volume is something that every fire company is experiencing right now.

All five fire chiefs noted the local fire companies have become a sort of “catch all” for first responders. In addition to fires, the local companies departments are regularly dispatched for CO alarms, car crashes, medical assists, downed trees, and other emergencies. Considering volunteers are already stretched thin, this increase in call volume and lack of manpower create a perfect storm for delays in response.

Corbo said firefighters have four minutes to sign on to a call. While Corbo was being interviewed by The Newtown Bee, in fact, Hook & Ladder was dispatched. He had to put on his gear and hop into the truck as there was not another volunteer able to sign on, cutting the interview short.

Placko said that while “we’re pretty good at having somebody come fairly quickly to get to the firehouse, we have to have a driver on the truck … we like to leave with multiple people on.”

He said his retirees are great because they can get to the firehouse, but not all of them drive the truck or feel comfortable with it. While these volunteers are at the firehouse, sometimes they are waiting for drivers to sign on — creating more delay.

Corbo said the biggest concern is the delay in service. He added that sometimes, there are not enough people on the ground to “mitigate a scene safely and effectively.”

Murphy has been a firefighter since 1981, "so 45 years. Back then, each department … they would go to a house fire by themselves. They would put the fire out and they would go home … Now all five departments go to make sure that we have enough people. So that’s a clue right there — every department was self-sufficient.”

Murphy added that all departments are “in the same boat” in terms of a general lack of volunteers.

Capozziello said while he feels there are enough volunteers to "cover our calls, we certainly had to adapt town-wide to provide more companies for calls that in the past, one company would cover … Our call turnout has dropped to a point where we don’t typically have members standing by to provide more help if needed anymore.”

Sandy Hook's chief also said the workload is not spread out as evenly anymore either, which can cause burnout for the members who are active firefighters. Hook & Ladder Chief Corbo agreed saying all it takes “is a couple calls during the week, overnight, especially if there’s multiple ones during the night, to screw up your sleep habits. Now you’re recovering from that, and if it’s the same people doing it, you’re going to get … burnout.”

Janofsky added there was a distinct shift around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. City folks were leaving the city and coming to suburban areas and expecting a city-like response. These new residents see that their taxes pay a small portion to the fire companies. Janofsky pointed out the tax money really only pays for firetrucks.

“Fire trucks don’t put out fires, cause if they stay in the barn, they’re never putting out a fire. They need us to get there to do all the work to get them out there,” Janofsky said.

Filling The Gaps

It goes without saying that all five companies are looking for young, driven people to join their volunteer forces. Each fire company has its own website and hosts weekly sessions on Monday nights. And not all positions that need to be filled are active firefighter roles. Capozziello said that there are plenty of administrative roles within SHVFR to be filled.

Interested persons who want to try their hand at volunteer firefighting need to live or work in Newtown. However, Placko said that one of their members is from Massachusetts.

Bob Blomberg became an honorary member of Botsford Fire Rescue after his brother Pete passed away. Placko said he started driving down on Sunday afternoons and volunteering his time with the company Sunday through Monday nights.

“He’s actually here enough that he makes his percentages … to make the town’s requirements to get his pay-per-call call — just driving from Massachusetts … He makes it work, and he’s perfectly content with it … If we have anything planned, he’ll be here. It’s insane. His dedication level is...” Placko trailed off, but his gratitude was felt in his surrendering hand motion.

On top of quasi-residency, volunteers need to be at least 14 for the junior program. SHVFR, Hook & Ladder, and Hawleyville have Junior Corps. For ther other companies, volunteers can be 16 or older. Only those who are 18 can go to Firefighter 1 certification classes to become an interior firefighter, though.

While being a firefighter is not for everyone, the chiefs were all encouraging.

Murphy said, “If you live within half a mile of our firehouse, well then, why not?” He added, “You just have to have the time, energy, willingness … Give it a try. It can be fun, it can be very rewarding to help your neighbors, but it can be hard. Nobody likes getting up at 2 am, but if it’s your house at 2 am, you would like someone to come and help you.”

Placko echoed this, saying people can always stop if it is not the right fit, but that they will not know unless they try.

Zach Stetson, assistant chief for Hawleyville, said, “The one thing about the fire department would be that it can be anything and everything that you make of it.” Stetson compared it to other activities he could have chosen to do. He could have joined a softball team, but instead, he chose to do something more “productive” with his time, and make friendships with people that “will last, arguably, a lot longer because the thing that you’re doing is much more meaningful.”

Corbo encouraged people to “make that first step.” He agreed with Stetson saying that it is rewarding. Placko added that there is a big community aspect to being a volunteer firefighter, and he saw it while he worked at Trumbull’s Long Hill Fire Department. Placko helped foster comradery among the firefighters there, and tries to do that in Botsford, too.

“I think they will get a lot more out of volunteering than they think,” Capozziello said. “The people you meet often become life-long friends, and it really feels like having a second family. I’ve seen that throughout the years.”

Volunteer firefighting gives people the opportunity to meet their community members, learn things that can be used in everyday life, and make a real impact for their neighbors. Capozziello pointed out that sometimes a firefighter may live on the same street as an emergency and can be on the scene instantly.

Botsford has a fully equipped gym and lounge area for members to use. Hook & Ladder also has a lounge area for members to hang out, as well as a commercial kitchen. Hawleyville is looking to expand its firehouse to offer more to its members, but relies on fundraising to do so.

Capozziello said if readers cannot donate their time, donations to their local fire station still make a big difference. Fire companies are responsible for stocking their trucks with equipment, managing their own equipment, purchasing gear, and maintaining the separate firehouses. None of this can be done without help from the community.

At the end of the day, each chief mentioned that when someone calls 911, there is a problem. Everyone needs someone to respond to their emergencies, and people are needed to fill those gaps.

Call the local firehouse, visit the websites, or send an e-mail. Each company is ready for new members and ready to serve Newtown.

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Reporter Sam Cross can be reached at sam@thebee.com.