Ladder 440 In Service: As most people know we have purchased and recieved a used 1992 E-One
75' Quint, Ladder 440. The Engineers have gone through 8 hours of class room training and 8 hours of practical training learning how to properly operate and place the ladder truck. The Quint was finally put into service on the morning of Sunday, August 4th. 440 will be first due to all calls relating to a structure, otherwise there has to be a special request from other companies for us to bring it. Botsford has already talked to us and we will send it first due to all calls where we are
second due with Botsford. We don't currently have a wet date set, but there should be more information soon.

Chief Halstead Recieves New Car: On Monday, August 22 2005, Chief Halstead recieved his new Fire Marshall car, a 2005 Ford Expedition. It will soon be shipped out to be equipped with all the equipment Chief Halstead will need. It will get radios, an all LED light package, a slide out drawer in the trunk, and fire extinguishers and an air pack. The car will be equipped by NorthEastern Communications. More information will come as we get it.

Sandy Hook to Recieve Bobcat Utility Off Road Vehicle and Trailer: The Newtown

Board of Fire Commisioners has approved to purchase a Bobcat Off Road Utility Vehicle and a trailer to be used for rescues, brush fires, and many other purposes. The main reason for puchase though will be for rescues as Sandy Hook covers many acres of woods and has performed very lengthy extrication rescues that require a walk of many miles. Although a delivery date is unknown, Sandy Hook is anxious to recieve the vehicle. It will also be accompanied by a dual axle enclosed trailer that will be towed by 445.

House Struck by Lightning: At 17:07 hours on the afternoon of Saturday, September 17th, Botsford Fire, Newtown Hook & Ladder as secondary, and Sandy Hook Fire & Rescue as third due company, were dispatched to 39 Platts Hill Road for a report of a lightning strike to a chimney and the odor of smoke in the house. E-441 and T-9 responded with 6 and staged at the intersection of Platts Hill Road and Huntingtown Road. Nothing was found and all companies returned.

Wires and Fallen Tree Shuts Down Sherman Street: On Friday, September 16th at 23:20 hours, Sandy Hook Fire & Rescue was dispatched to 4 Sherman Street for a report of wires down in the road way. E-441 and E-443 responded with 3. First unit on scene (404) found wires down across the road way that were live and had the road shut down. Minutes later 404 reported another incident that wires were down and a tree blocked the road as well 1/4 mile away from the original call. Units waited for the arrival of Connecticut Light & Power, cleared the tree and then returned

Electrical Problem: On Friday, September 16th just before 17:00 hours, Sandy Hook Fire & Rescue, Newtown Hook & Ladder as secondary, and Hawleyville as the third due company were dispatched to 94 Walnut Tree Hill Road for a reported strong odor of electrial wires burning. L-440, E-441, R-444, T-449, and T-9 responded along with Newtown Hook & Ladder 114, as E-442, E-443, and Hawleyville stood by at stations. L-440 arrived first on scene and 403 established command. Thermal imaging cameras were used to search for any possible fire concealed in the walls. There was no problem found and all units returned in service about 30 minutes later.

Teen Bicyclist Struck by Motor Vehicle: At 18:44 hours Newtown Ambulance, Regional Paramedic, and Sandy Hook Fire & Rescue were dispatched to Alpine drive for a report of a 19 year old girl that had been struck by a car while on her bicycle. Sandy Hook had just returned from a previous call so, R-444 responded with 10 and arrived on scene to find a girl with multiple scrapes and lacerations to the arms, legs, hips, shoulders, back, and face. Sandy Hook EMT's and MRT's began patient care, which ended up to be very lenghty due to the fact that the ambulance had complications getting to the scene. Upon arrival of the ambulance the patient was loaded into the ambulance and sent to Danbury Hospital. Sandy Hook units remained on scene for about 30 minutes. 402 had command.

Chemistry Lab Problem at NHS: On the afternoon of Friday, September 9th at around 13:39 Sandy Hook Fire & Rescue and Newtown Hook & Ladder as secondary were dispatched to 12 Berkshire Road, Newtown High School, for an activated fire alarm. L-440, E-442, and T-449 responded with 9. First units on scene (410 and 413) reported that the school had been evacuated and that the alarm came from a second story chemistry lab and there was an odor of gas aswell. Units from Sandy Hook vented the second story while Hook & Ladder stood by in the parking lot. Students re-occupied the first story after ventilation as units searched for a cause that triggered the alarm. It was determined that a student might have been messing around with a bunsen burner, which caused the alarm. Heavy traffic delays resulted as the call came in about 15 minutes before dismissal. Units remained on scene for about 35 minutes.

On the afternoon of Monday, September 12th at 13:32 hours, Sandy Hook and Hook & Ladder were again dispatched to the High School for an activated fire alarm. L-440 and E-441 responded with 5 and 401 had command. First units on scene (410 and 413) reported that it was the same problem as Friday. Sandy Hook units searched for a second reason for why the alarm was set off again, while Hook & Ladder was held at their station. It was determined that the cause of the two triggered alarms could have been due to the hot temperature in the room along with the use of many Bunsen burners. Sandy Hook returned at about 13:45.

Computer Fire Almost Starts Structure Fire: At around 8:40 hours on the morning of Saturday, September 10th, Newtown Hook & Ladder, Sandy Hook Fire & Rescue as secondary and Hawleyvile as third due were dispatched to Pitney Bowes Distributing on Edmond Road for a reported structure fire that had been reported by an employee. E-441and T-9 responded as 401 reported a computer fire in a warehouse. Building maintenance had put the fire out with a fire extinguisher so Hook & Ladder and Sandy sisted with smoke ventilation stood by at station. Sandy Hook was released about 20 minutes later.

Boiler Problems at NHS: On Wednesday, August 31st around 13:01 hours Sandy Hook Fire & Rescue and Newtown Hook & Ladder as secondary, were dispatched to 12 Berkshire Road, Newtown High School, for an activated fire alarm. E-442 responded with 2 and the first unit on scene (413) reported the alarm to be coming from the boiler room and the building evacuated. 401 arrived and established command. The fire alarm was found to be set off by an over heated boiler. Units on scene found no problem and returned in service. Units were on scene for 5 minutes. En route back to the Main Station Sandy Hook and Hook & Ladder as secondary were dispatched again to the High School for an active fire alarm. 413 was first on scene and found it was accidentally set off by janitors resetting the alarm. Units spent 1 minute on scene and returned.

Early Morning Crash on I-84: On Wednesday, August 31st, around 04:30 hours Newtown Ambulance, Regional Paramedic, and Sandy Hook Fire & Rescue were dispatched to the intersection of I-84 and Wasserman Way for an MVA with injuries. E-442 and R-444 responded with 6. E-442 and 401 arrived on scene and reported a 1 car MVA on the I-84 off ramp with a 25 year old female and 1 year old male complaining of neck pain. Units provided patient care and returned into service about 15 minutes later. This would be the first of 5 calls that Sandy Hook would run that day.

Newtown Hook & Ladder and Sandy Hook Respond to Entrapment: On Tuesday, August 23rd around 14:25 hours Newtown Ambulance, Regional Paramedic, Newtown Hook & Ladder, and Sandy Hook Fire & Rescue as secondary, were dispatched to School House Hill Road, just past the intersection of School House and Edmond for a motor vehicle accident with entrapment. R-444 responded with 5 and found a car laying on its side against the wall of a bridge. R-444 prepared the hurst tools for an extrication, but was told by Newtown Hook & Ladder's 104, that there was no extrication and the driver had self-extricated himself by kicking out the windshield of his car. The driver of the car then ran from police, but police caught up to him and tackled him to the ground. Sandy Hook then provided patient care after he was hand cuffed. Sandy Hook was then released. Units were on scene for around 25 minutes.

MVA Involving Tractor Trailer Requires Extensive Extrication: During the afternoon of

Saturday, July 23rd Newtown Ambulance, Regional Paramedic, and Sandy Hook Fire & Rescue were dispatched to I-84 Westbound between exits 11 and the Southbury town line for an MVA rollover with extrication. E-442 and R-444 responded and found a tractor trailer carrying two cars rolled over down an embankment with the driver pinned as 401 established command. Hillario's Towing was immediately called in to help stabilize the tractor trailer. Units cut open the side of the cab to gain access to the driver and was pulled out as Sandy Hook EMT's and the Ambulance staff treated the patient.