2018 Annual Report
2018 Annual Report
The Pomfret Volunteer Fire Department provides fire, rescue, and emergency medical response within the town of Pomfret, CT and mutual aid to surrounding towns. Located at 67 Hampton Road, next to the Little League Field, the station is centrally located within the 40+ square miles of Pomfret. The department is currently made up of about 27 members who act as a team to take on a variety of emergency response roles in accordance with their skills, training, and areas of interest.
Members are given a pager to carry which alerts them when a 9-1-1 call comes in from the QVEC dispatch center in Killingly. If they are available they respond from home or work, day or night, and take on an emergency response role. We also reply on the I Am Responding System to alert us via cell phone of all emergency calls. This technology allows all members to receive calls and are now able to see who is now responding to the call thru the cell phone app instead of guessing on who may be responding.
New members go through a six month probationary period during which they become oriented to the department and start to develop a training path for themselves. Drills on different topics and scenarios are offered at least three times each month. All training is provided free of charge, either in-house or off-site. Active members who meet the annual requirements are eligible to receive a per-call stipend and a graduated tax abatement based on their years of service.
, KB Ambulance is still the primary provider of ambulance transport for Pomfret patients. The medical responders of Pomfret FD continue to respond to all Pomfret medical calls as first responders only. They assess the patient and initiate medical treatment prior to ambulance arrival, and work with the KB crew to get the patient to the ambulance. This arrangement of relying on another service for transport has worked out extraordinarily well for the town of Pomfret. It has been a few years now since the switch and it has been seamless and collaboration between KB and Pomfret's medical responders continues to go very well.
The current station, built in 1976, is still in service housing the department’s apparatus and other equipment, three offices, kitchen and restrooms. A new addition has been completed as of April of 2018 and it is comprised of a training/meeting room, lounge area, and storage area. This addition has given the department the much needed space that we have been in need of for many years. The training room is modern with modern technology allowing state of the art training to take place. The lounge area has given the members a place to relax after long calls and drills and helps to build the comradery that a volunteer emergency services organization needs. Storage was always a problem here and now we have a space that helps meet those needs as well. This was all done with the help of a state of CT. STEAP Grant and with no tax increase to the town residents.
There were 421 calls for emergency service during this time. These include 231 medical calls, 27 vehicle accidents, 90 fire-related calls (including 3 fires in town, 10 responses to fires outside of town as part of the mutual aid system, 77 fire alarm investigations, and multiple responses to chimney fires and brush/grass fires.) The balance of the calls included downed power lines and other public safety and service calls. The average emergency call lasts one to two hours.
The only way the volunteer system can continue to work is to have a sufficient array of volunteers available to respond at any given time. The department will work with whatever time and skills that a volunteer has to give. Residents with a willingness to serve and to learn are always encouraged to apply.
Brett Sheldon, Chief
Pomfret Volunteer Fire Department