Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company Celebrates Volunteer Firefighters

By LAURA WARD (Open Post)

SANDY HOOK, CT-- On Saturday, April 9, 2016, 60 volunteer fire departments throughout the state will celebrate the start of National Volunteer Week (April 10-16) by holding open houses. Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company, Inc. will be participating in this special event by opening the doors to its fire house located at 18-20 Riverside Road in Sandy Hook from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Visitors to the fire house will be able to talk with volunteer firefighters about the work they do, explore fire apparatus and turnout gear, get a tour of the fire house, and fill out an application. For more information, visit the Department's website and Facebook page.

Eighty percent of all fire personnel in Connecticut are volunteers, and the majority of fire departments throughout the state are experiencing a volunteer shortage. Local fire departments need volunteers of all skill levels and abilities, people willing and able to respond to emergencies whenever called upon.

Volunteer Firefighter Day is part of Everyday Hero CT, a program dedicated to increasing the number of volunteer firefighters throughout the state. A partnership of the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association (CFCA) and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), the Everyday Hero CT campaign is a two-year Volunteer Workforce Solutions (VWS) initiative designed to address the shortage of volunteer firefighters in Connecticut. It is helping achieve a viable and sustainable volunteer firefighter workforce for 15 Connecticut fire departments. Everyday Hero CT is funded by a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant awarded to the CFCA by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to develop a model to enhance the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters.