By RICHARD RAINEY
Day Staff Writer, Canterbury/Sprague
Published on 12/18/2005

New London— When a man wrapped his car around a tree on Colman Avenue Friday, jamming his legs beneath the dashboard, it was Dan Davis who climbed in through the car window to help rescue him.

“I'm the rabbit in the hole,” Davis said, grinning.

Davis, a city firefighter and a trained emergency medical technician, stabilized the victim while others brought in the hydraulic Jaws of Life to peel back the car roof. They pulled the driver free and took him to Lawrence & Memorial Hospital, where he was treated for a broken left leg.

Davis' part in the extrication effort highlighted the expanded role of firefighters here in recent years: In addition to extinguishing fires, they're likely to be called upon to serve as nurses, detectives, hazardous-materials handlers, teachers and just plain neighbors.

It is precisely that kind of variety and the unpredictability of each day that attracted some department members to firefighting in the first place.

“(It's) the ultimate challenge,” firefighter Steve Wargo said, describing his work. “The ultimate rush, too.”

On Saturday, Davis, Wargo, and Joe Hancock took a break between calls to grab a cup of coffee and talk about firefighting.

“It's just something I always wanted to do,” Wargo said.

“It's the best job,” Davis said.

The New London Fire Department is the only one on the shoreline between New Haven and Warwick, R.I., to be fully manned by a non-volunteer, unionized force, which makes this city of 26,000 people an attractive spot for someone interested in a firefighting career.

Davis worked for the Waterford Fire Department for a decade before joining the New London department in 2000.

“I feel like more of a fireman,” he said of his experience in the city.

The New London department has three fire engines, two trucks and two ambulances. It comprises three stations scattered about the city's six square miles and 16 firefighters. Recent budget cuts have reduced the number from 18, causing local union representatives to clamor for more funding from the City Council.

The men field about 5,200 emergency calls a year, working 10-hour day shifts and 14-hour night shifts, with days off in between.

Hancock and Davis said their families played a large role in their decisions to become firefighters. Davis said his brother was a volunteer in Waterford. Hancock said his roots ran deep into New London, where his father joined the department in 1968.

Hancock grew up on Crystal Avenue and graduated from New London High School, and said his familiarity with the city enables him to connect with the people he meets on emergency calls.

The department's role in the community stretches beyond reacting to potential disasters. For example, firefighters will give away toys from 1 to 3 p.m. today at their annual Christmas Children's Party at the New London Senior Center. Fire Inspector Allen B. Beebe said the event had become so popular that he expected more than 300 children to show up.

“I may have to get a bigger place if I'm in charge of the party next year,” he said. 
 

© The Day Publishing Co., 2005