Darien Times editor Joshua Fisher, left, talks with Darien Fire Department Lt. Greg Karas during a drill at a firefighters' training tower. (Darien Times/Kristen Riolo photo)
Darien Times editor Joshua Fisher, left, talks with Darien Fire Department Lt. Greg Karas during a drill at a firefighters' training tower. (Darien Times/Kristen Riolo photo)
Foundation eases firefighters' load
Written by Joshua Fisher
Saturday, September 06, 2008
When firemen enter a a burning, smoke-filled building, they rely on their training and their fellow firefighters.
I recently was given the opportunity to enter one of those hot, smoke-filled buildings with our three fire departments. I couldn’t see much at all, just the back of the firefighter in front of me. It is an eerie feeling the first time you enter the smoky darkness. The sound of my oxygen tank was all I heard as trained volunteers led me to the second floor.
This was a typical training exercise for the men and women of the Darien, Noroton and Noroton Heights volunteer fire departments. For me, it was just a taste of wearing the 75 pounds of equipment in what could be a life or death situation.
But putting out fires and rescuing residents — and training for those responses — are not the only duties of our brave volunteers. They have other work to do: raising money to keep their properties in good shape and their equipment up to date.
The Town of Darien Firefighters Foundation is looking to change that. Its founders want the volunteers to focus their free time on firefighting, not fund-raising.
Volunteers make Darien run. From those who coach youth sports to those who serve on town boards and commissions to those who give their time at Person-to-Person. But our volunteer firemen are a special breed.
They are the Darienites who get up in the middle of the night when their pager sounds or leave the dinner table when fire alarm rings. They are the men and women who leave their family to risk their lives to save you and your home when the unthinkable happens. And they don’t do it for money. They do it for the community.
Between the calls for firemen at emergencies, Darien’s bravest men and women ready themselves for any situation at regular training exercises. Often those training exercises are held at two concrete buildings behind the town dump. One tall, three-story building is set up like a downtown office building, the other resembles a two-story house — it even has old couches and an old TV in it, which become obstacles for the first-responders.
I was invited to suit up for an early summer drill. Despite the cool, rainy evening, more than 50 volunteers from the Darien, Noroton and Noroton Heights fire departments came out for the exercise. Bails of hay were lighted at the base of the “office building,” which soon spread dark smoke throughout it.
In small groups, firemen entered the building — some used a cherry picker to reach the roof, others entered through a first-floor door. I entered with a group through that door. The flashlights we carried could barely show the firefighter in front of me. I saw right away why these regular training exercises are so important.We methodically made it to the second floor, where the only easy way to see other firefighters through the smoke was with a thermal imaging device, which comes with a price tag of thousands of dollars.
The town supports the three fire departments through the town budget. But each department’s operating budget is similar to the salary of a paid chief in other towns. In Darien, the only fire personnel who are paid are the fire marshal, deputy fire marshal and a part-time fire inspector. The men and women who suit up when there is a fire or flood are not paid.
Each department covers its specific district at night and on weekends; during the day and for significant emergencies, the three departments respond mutually. Unlike paid departments, the firefighters don’t sleep at the firehouses. They respond from their homes or places of business.
Each department has its own property, equipment, budget and needs. So if a roof needs to be replaced, it is the department’s job to raise the money. Currently the departments raise money through raffles, block parties, Christmas tree sales and other ways. This new firefighter foundation is not looking to replace that.
The foundation is civilian run and will be an umbrella organization to provide money for the three departments. To do this, the foundation is looking for serious sponsors from the town’s more fortunate community members and business. The hope is that community-minded Darienites will step up to make a donation, sponsor an event or buy a specific piece of equipment.
The large equipment purchases is what got this foundation started, according to Stephen Roney, a founding member of the foundation.
“A few years ago, the Darien Fire Department replaced its two engines which had been in service for well over 30 years,” Roney said. “One of the engines was replaced with funds provided by the town, while the other was paid for with private donations. These donations had been raised by the Darien Fire Department volunteers over many years. I did not realize until that moment that each fire department not only owned some of the equipment — but that the departments also owned and maintained their own properties. The responsibilities of being a first responder in this town when coupled with the onus of fund-raising seemed a bit much to me. It made more sense for our firefighters to use their free time training rather than fund-raising.”
We often don’t notice them until we need them, but our volunteer firefighters are working hard to protect us day and night. And now, we need to look out for them. The foundation will hold its first benefit event, Lobster for Ladders, on Saturday, Sept. 13.
To donate or talk about sponsorship opportunities, contact Stephen Roney, Town of Darien Firefighters Foundation, 848 Post Road, Darien, CT 06820. All donations are tax-deductable.