Sub Base Fire Station Taken Off First-responders List

By ETHAN ROUEN
Day Staff Writer, East Lyme, Salem
Published on 12/15/2004

Groton— The city's fire department recently removed the Naval Submarine Base fire station as a first responder to a section of Route 12 near the base.

For about six months, a glitch in a new computerized dispatch system had been sending too many emergency resources to calls on Route 12 between South Pleasant Valley Road and Toll Gate Road, said Fire Chief Todd M. Paige of the Poquonnock Bridge Fire District.

“Basically, there were too many units responding,” he said. “It was clogging up the scene.”

Until the change in coverage, the Poquonnock Bridge Fire District, the Groton City Fire District and the sub base fire station all responded to car accidents on the heavily traveled road.

Groton City will now respond to accidents west of the road's double yellow line and Poquonnock Bridge will respond to accidents on the road's east side.

Firefighters at the base are still responsible for emergencies on Route 12 from South Pleasant Valley Road to the Groton town line.

The submarine base, which is always staffed with four firefighters, will continue to respond when Groton fire stations request backup, said City of Groton Fire District Chief Nicholas A. DeLia.

The base, located near the corner of Route 12 and Gungywamp Road, has one of the few hazardous material response units in southeastern Connecticut and provides other necessary support services, he said.

“We don't need three fire trucks at a two-car accident, and if we do, then they're right there,” DeLia said, referring to the base fire station.

e.rouen@theday.com