Fire calls, emergency service responses rise as town grows

By Scott Benjamin

BROOKFIELD – In elementary school, Derek Broadmeyer was thrilled when he saw the fire trucks “drive by” Putnam Shoes on Elm Street in New Canaan, where his mom worked as a manager.

“People love firemen,” he says. “They love fire trucks.”

It was the inspiration for a book report.

He is now the chief at the Brookfield Fire Company's Headquarters station. It is a 20,000-square-foot “state-of-the-art” facility which opened in 1991 at 92 Pocono Road. There are currently 75 members, who respond to calls 24/7.

The Brookfield Fire Department Candlewood Co., located at 18 Bayview Drive, has, according to its web site, two engines, two rescue boats, a utility pickup truck and a command vehicle.

Brookfield First Selectman Steve Dunn said some residents may not appreciate what the two fire companies do for them.

“I think like electricity or police, they just take it for granted.,” he said. “What we have here is a dedicated group of volunteers putting in their own time, helping our residents. They do incredible work.”

Broadmeyer explained, “We may have to check someone’s home at 2 a.m. We try to solve all of their problems. That’s what they look for. There is something going on. They need help and they’re looking for someone to do it, whether it is putting out a fire or they have a fire alarm with a low battery.”

He said the addition of multi-family housing, assisted care facilities, more out-of-town traffic to Costco and B.J.’s Wholesale Club and two urgent care offices “have significantly increased our requests for service.”

Broadmeyer commented that between 2021 and 2024 the number of annual fire calls went from 928 to 1,041.

“Before the pandemic, the average was in the 700 range,” he said in an interview with Patch.com

Broadmeyer said 62 members of the department responded to calls in 2024, with 26 of them logging more than 100.

A member that responds to at least five percent of the calls is eligible to receive a stipend from the municipal government.

“However, the stipend is not why people join the fire company. They join the fire company because they want to help their community,” explained Broadmeyer, who is a lead installation technician at Precision MobileElectronics in Danbury, which specializes in building emergency vehicles.

To join the department: You have to be a Brookfield resident, at least 18 years of age or live in an adjoining town within a 12-minute drive of the fire house.

Broadmeyer said that there is usually an “ebb and flow” of members.

“For people to move into town, they have to be financially stable,” he explained. “That is everywhere in the northeast. There are more affluent towns that face the same issue.”

“It is hard with the way the economy is,” he exclaimed. “I bought my house in 2013. When I bought my house, it was worth about half of what it is now. It is hard to buy a $700,000, $800,000 house that only, six, seven years ago was $250,000, $300,000. Apartments that used to be $1,500, $1,800 a month are now $2,800, $3,200 a month.”

Dunn said most residents are not aware of the extensive training required to become a firefighter.

Headquarters sponsors two to three emergency medical technician (EMT) classes a year and a Fire I class for beginners each January.

Firefighter I requires 120 hours of instruction, 40 hours for hazardous materials training and then a practical test and a written test. The EMT training requires 220 hours of instruction.

Broadmeyer commented that they sponsor many state classes at the firehouse – including aerial operator, pump operator, Fire I and II, Fire instructor I, II, Fire Officer I, II, III.

“We ask a lot of members,” he said. “They have to come to a minimum of four meetings each year. They have to do 26 drills. 26 Mondays a year.”

Broadmeyer said all members can offer feedback to the company officers.

“We have an environment where people can speak their minds and do what they want to do,” he said. “The membership is allowed to take on committee roles and projects.”

Broadmeyer commented that Headquarters follows Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) standards for electing its leaders.

They “must be more educated than your standard firefighter,” he explained.

There also are 24 personnel – EMTs and certified paramedics - who work for the fire company through emergency medical services, which is staffed with the three ambulances housed at Brookfield Volunteer Fire Station 2, Center Fire House, on Obtuse Hill Road/Route 133.

Broadmeyer said that the emergency medical services calls recently underwent “a significant increase." There were 1,999 recorded in 2021. That figure grew to 2,554 in 2024.

Headquarters does an annual fund drive, but much of its money comes from municipal spending..

We get “a great budget from the town of Brookfield," Broadmeyer remarked. "They’ve always been wonderful to us. The Board of Finance, the Board of Selectmen have always been available to meet with us.”

Headquarters pays for one-third of each fire truck The municipal budget funds the other two-thirds. The municipal government pays for all of the costs associated with the ambulances and large share of the annual operating costs of the fire companies.

For example, Broadmeyer said that it costs “$5,000 to outfit a firefighter.”

Remarked Dunn, “We have very frank and open discussion as to what their needs are. The fire companies present specific things that they need. They explain why they need them. The Board of Finance and the Board of Selectmen are very open to that.”

Broadmeyer, whose family moved from New Canaan to New Milford while he was in school, said he has long admired Brookfield’s small-town charm.

His wife, Amy, is a registered nurse. They have a nine-year-old daughter, Lola, who attends Candlewood Lake Elementary School.

Broadmeyer had been a member at New Milford’s Gaylordsville and Water Witch Hose Companies before moving to Brookfield and joining Headquarters. He became the interim chief last year and was recently elected to a full term in that position.

Some firemen at Headquarters have been on the roster for 40 years. The Ellis, Gravius and Martone families span generations.

Broadmeyer said there were people from Brooklyn and the Bronx who moved to suburban Brookfield during the pandemic and didn't realize that all of the firefighters are volunteers.

“Some people have moved to town because they see what this fire company is about,” he remarked. “This is a special place.”

Note: If you are interested in being a volunteer firefighter at Headquarters, you can access their web site at brookfieldfire.org or come down to the Pocono Road firehouse after 6:30 on any Monday night. Training is provided.

Resources:

Interview Derek Broadmeyer, Patch.com, on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.

Phone interview with Derek Broadmeyer, Patch.com, Tuesday, June 10, 2025.

E-mail interview with Derek Broadmeyer, Patch.com, on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.

Phone interview with Steve Dunn, Patch.com, on Thursday, June 12, 2025.

https://candlewoodfire.com/