Date: Fri 21-Feb-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

emergency-services-FHH-DPW

Full Text:

State Wants Local Emergency Services To Cover Fairfield Hills

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

The state Department of Public Works (DPW) is asking that the town's volunteer

firemen take over firefighting duties at Fairfield Hills. DPW is also

suggesting that the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps provide ambulance

coverage there.

In a February 13 letter to Kevin Cragin, chairman of the town's Board of Fire

Commissioners, Peter Cerruto, a DPW assistant administrator, writes, "The

state of Connecticut Department of Public Works would like to request that the

Newtown Fire Department assume the responsibility of first (responder) for

fire and emergency calls at the Fairfield Hills campus. This request excludes

(Garner Correctional Institution). The Department of Correction has indicated

that they will continue as first (responder) to their facility."

Mr Cerruto continues, "I discussed this matter with [First Selectman] Robert

Cascella, and he felt that an agreement could be reached between Newtown Board

of Fire Commissioners and DPW. Mr Cascella also felt that now with the number

of employees and [residents] on campus, consideration should be given [to

have] the Newtown ambulance...respond to medical emergencies at Fairfield

Hills as well."

Currently, the first responder for fire protection at Fairfield Hills is the

Fairfield Hills Fire Department headed by Fire Chief Bill Halstead.

Mr Cragin said it is unclear if the state would be willing to pay to have

town-supplied firefighting services at Fairfield Hills.

Besides the views of commission members, the opinions of the town's five fire

chiefs will be sought, he said.

The proposal is scheduled for discussion when the Board of Fire Commissioners

meets Monday at 7:30 pm at the Dodgingtown Firehouse on Route 302.

The town has a mutual aid agreement for fire protection with the Fairfield

Hills Fire Department, Mr Cragin said Tuesday.

Under that arrangement, when the town needs help in fighting a fire, it can

call in the Fairfield Hills department to help out. Similarly, when the

Fairfield Hills department needs help, it can call on the town.

The town has five privately-organized volunteer fire companies: Newtown Hook

and Ladder, Sandy Hook, Botsford, Hawleyville and Dodgingtown. Besides money,

which the fire companies raise through fund drives, the town contributes funds

to the companies. The town owns some of the fire trucks used by the

volunteers. The Board of Fire Commissioners is composed of representatives

from the fire companies and civilians. The commission does financial

management for the five companies and oversees town-owned fire equipment and

apparatus.

DPW spokesman Patrick Nolan stressed Wednesday that DPW is not seeking to have

the town provide firefighting or ambulance service for Garner Correctional

Institution.

The specifics of how the town would provide firefighting coverage at Fairfield

Hills would be decided by the town's Board of Fire Commissioners, he said.

The DPW wants to hold negotiations with the Board of Fire Commissioners about

a town takeover of Fairfield Hills firefighting duties, Mr Nolan said. The

negotiations would cover a possible payment from the state to the town for

firefighting services and the possible donations of the Fairfield Hills

Firehouse and/or fire trucks to the town, among other actions, he said.

Mr Nolan said that as the state's Fairfield Hills operations continue to

shrink, it is shutting down the campus's power plant. Running the power plant

costs the state $1.5 million annually, he said. "We're downsizing. We're

scaling back," he said. Also, the state is winterizing and mothballing vacant

buildings at the campus.

Most of Fairfield Hills lies in the Newtown Hook and Ladder fire district. But

the section of the campus along Mile Hill Road between the Pootatuck River and

Nunnawauk Road is in the Sandy Hook fire district.

Newtown Hook and Ladder Volunteer Fire Company Chief Steve Murphy said

Thursday he plans to attend the Board of Fire Commissioners meeting Monday. He

said he wants to hear everyone's thoughts on the matter.

It is unclear how many fire calls occur at Fairfield Hills, he said. It could

be five calls a year or it could be 100, he noted.

Mr Cascella said Tuesday he has been developing a "laundry list" concerning

what the town might receive from the state for providing fire protection at

Fairfield Hills.

"All of that will have to be discussed," he said. He said it is a little early

to judge the merits of the state's proposal. "I don't know if this is good or

this is bad."

A decision on the firefighting request will be made by the Board of Fire

Commissioners and the selectmen, he said, adding he expects that the

Legislative Council would become involved in the issue as well.

Ambulance Service

Stephen Savarese, president of the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Association,

said Wednesday if the town feels it is in residents' best interests for the

Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps to provide coverage at Fairfield Hills, it

would be considered by the association.

The corps formerly provided ambulance coverage to Fairfield Hills. But after

the high-security Garner Correctional Institution opened in 1992, ambulance

staffers decided they didn't want to cover the area. The ambulance association

had the state modify the volunteer corps' primary service area to delete

Fairfield Hills and Garner from it. Since that deletion, Danbury Ambulance, a

private company, has provided ambulance coverage for Fairfield Hills and

Garner.

Until the ambulance association knows the future long-term uses of Fairfield

Hills, it doesn't want to provide coverage there, if at all, Mr Savarese said.

When the future of Fairfield Hills becomes clear, discussion on whether

Newtown ambulances will cover that area will become much more meaningful, he

said.

Currently at Fairfield Hills, the town has offices in Canaan House and its

library in Shelton House. Addiction Prevention Therapy, a substance abuse

rehabilitation program, is in Greenwich House.

Mr Savarese noted that placing a 911 emergency telephone call from Fairfield

Hills for ambulance service will result in a Danbury Ambulance vehicle being

dispatched for medical help. However, if people in the offices and library

choose, they can call the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps' routine telephone

number to have a Newtown ambulance dispatched to help them, he said.

"Our primary purpose is to cover the town," Mr Savarese said.