Fire departments using donations for upgrades

May 18, 2006

NEW TRUCKS ON THE WAY — Toby Ostapchuk, left, and Dan Anderson of the Darien Fire Department, anticipate the arrival of two new “pumper” trucks for the station. (Darien Times/Austin Amoroso photo)

It could be at 7:57 a.m. while they are eating breakfast. Or 2:24 p.m. while they are working hard at their respective jobs. Or even 3:46 a.m. while they are sound asleep.

The town’s firefighters drop whatever they are doing at whatever time to come to the assistance of whoever in town needs their help — and they do it for free.

The three town fire departments (Darien, Noroton and Noroton Heights) are all completely volunteer, so the brave men and women are on call every hour of every day.

“The nature of our business is that when we get an emergency call, we have to leave our livlihood to help others,” said Toby Ostapchuck, chairman of the Darien department’s truck committee. “Fortunately we have the members that make themselves as available as possible.”

Both the Darien and Noroton fire departments have plans to upgrade their services to ensure they can reach every person in town when called upon. The Darien department is purchasing two new “pumper” trucks to replace the existing ones that were built in the 1970s, while Noroton is expanding its firehouse to accomodate the changing times.

The Noroton department is planning to add much needed square footage to the existing building that is more than 50 years old. It will extend the portion of the building that was added in the 1970s, as well as put an additional level over the structure to make it a two-story facility.

Mike Vitti, Noroton fire chief, hopes to start building by June or July, but he knows the magnitude of this project might slow down the process. Among the plans are renovating the kitchen, adding an elevator and adding more space to make the building more compliant as an emergency shelter.

The department estimated the cost of this renovation at $1 million and because it is not owned by the town, it needs help from the people it serves. Vitti said little by little they have been making a dent in the campaign, which was started in October 2005. He hopes Darienites will contribute to the cause because of the emergency shelter, which is available to anyone in town during an emergency.

So far the department has raised $200,000 and Vitti has seen the campaign slow down after the initial boom of donations. The 2005 Capital Campaign, as it is called by the department, has a slogan of, Over 100 Years of Helping You...Now We Need Your Help, and Vitti hopes Darienites recognize the importance of this renovation and can help in any way possible.

There are five donation levels from $500 to $25,000-plus, and every person who contributes will earn a spot for their name on the donors plaque, which will be placed inside the new facility.

The Darien Fire Department has a different plan — two new, mostly privately-funded fire trucks. Dan Anderson, president of the Darien Fire Department, along with Ostapchuk, is leading the way to replace the old trucks, which he says are at the end of their 25 years of useful life.

“The standards for (firefighting) equipment has changed over time just as cars have,” said Anderson. “It’s like comparing a ‘70s Dodge to a present Dodge — you just can’t do it.”

The two new trucks will have several features that are an upgrade from the old trucks, including anti-lock-brakes, traction control and curtain airbags. There will also be an increase in pump capacity to 1,500 gallons per minute and water carrying capability from 500 gallons to 750 gallons. Anderson said the extra water capacity is imperative for distant residences that do not have hydrants close by.

Each “pumper” truck will cost about $460,000 and with a total bill of almost $1 million the department will welcome any help it can get. Anderson and Ostapchuk expect most of the funding to come through staff donations, but they also hope that word gets out about their cause — they plan on beginning a formal donation project in the coming months.

Ostapchuk just returned from Appleton, Wis., where the truck engines are being built. He expects the delivery of the engines by the third week of September and then there might be additional time needed to customize the apparatus to be compatible with the railways, overpasses and other features around town.

Right now, the department is not sure what will be done with the old trucks, but might decide to sell them to rural stations as reserve trucks.

“Of course we would like to bury some of the money by selling the old trucks,” said Anderson. “And it would also help to have extra money for upgrading and maintaining the apparatus.”

The plans for both these campaigns have begun and each department would love the help of its townspeople. Donations will be accepted by either department at any time. More information about how to donate can be found on each department’s Web site at norotonfd.org and darienfire.com.


© Copyright 2006 by Hersam Acorn newspapers