HVFCo. August Report

Members of the Haddam Volunteer Fire Co. responded to 49 calls for emergency services in August:

Medical Emergencies – 24
Fires, Alarms, etc. – 17
Motor Vehicle Accidents – 8

On Aug. 28, Haddam Volunteer Fire Company and Chester Hose Company were called to the scene of a fatal tractor-trailer accident on Route 9 North in Haddam.

The driver lost control of the vehicle, which was towing an empty trailer, and drove off the road and down the embankment, The northbound side of Route 9 was shut down between exits 8 and 9 while LifeStar crews arrived. The driver was pronounced dead on scene.

Volunteers responded to a vehicle fire Aug. 6 on Route 9S near exit 8. The driver noticed smoke in her car and quickly pulled to the shoulder and exited the vehicle. Haddam firefighters extinguished the vehicle, which was completely engulfed in flames on arrival.

On Aug. 11, near the intersection of Killingworth Road and Hidden Lake Road in Higganum, firefighters extricated the driver a vehicle that violently struck a tree. The patient was transported via Haddam Ambulance to Hartford Hospital where he was listed in stable condition.

Other motor vehicle accidents in August included a motorcycle versus deer collision Aug. 9 on Candlewood Hill Road and two crashes on Aug. 17. The first was a three-vehicle accident near Dunkin Donuts on Saybrook Road during which a dog named Star ran off but was found safe a few weeks later. The other incident involved a vehicle striking a tree on Brault Hill Road, resulting in minor injuries.

Haddam firefighters helped knock down a structure fire Aug. 19 in a raised ranch on Palmer Martin Road in East Haddam. East Haddam Fire Department received mutual aid assistance from Haddam, Colchester, East Hampton, Haddam Neck and Lyme. According to Haddam Fire Chief and East Haddam Fire Captain Sam Baber, the fire originated in the kitchen and quickly swept through the home. The homeowner escaped without injury. The East Haddam Fire Marshal is investigating the fire.

Drills included a water moving exercise at multiple locations along Saybrook Road, a review of the company’s forestry and utility trucks and a “waterball” competition at Haddam Meadows State Park during which firefighters use a charged hose line to move an elevated ball across a rope or wire. The team that moved the ball closest to their opponent’s goal or target won.

“The game teaches us how to communicate and use nozzles and hose lines to increase firefighting proficiency while having a little fun,” said HVFCo. Capt. Richard Zanelli.

Lastly, congratulations to HVFCo. Juniors EJ Adametz, Chuck Kowal and Zack Ouelette for completing fire service programs at the Connecticut Fire Academy.

Do You Have What It Takes? More information on the activities of the Haddam Volunteer Fire Company and ways you can get involved can be found on our website http://www.HaddamFire.com.