Willington Volunteer Firefighters Celebrate Volunteer Firefighter Day

On Saturday, April 9, 2016, more than 55 volunteer fire departments throughout the state will celebrate the start of National Volunteer Week (April 10-16) by holding open houses. Willington Hill Fire Department and Willington Fire Department #1 will be participating in this special event by opening the doors to their fire houses located at 24 Old Farms Road (Willington Hill Fire Department) and 426 River Road (Willington Fire Department) from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Visitors to the fire houses 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. Willington Fire Department can be found online at www.willingtonfire.org and on Facebook at WillingtonFireDepartment.

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.