Lieberman Honored at Wallingford Fire Headquarters

On August 8, the Wallingford Fire Department played host as the national Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) presented its Legislator of the Year Award to retiring Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.). 

Wallingford was selected to hold the ceremony because its fire department has been fortunate to receive $1.4 million in grant money since 2004 through legislative programs Lieberman has championed, according to Wallingford Fire Chief Peter Struble.

Each year, CFSI honors a legislator who makes a significant contribution to America's fire service. In presenting the 2012 award to Lieberman, CFSI Executive Director Bill Webb described the senator as "a true friend of the fire and emergency services since the people of Connecticut elected him in 1988."

In his role as Homeland Security Chairman in the current legislative session, Lieberman has addressed legislation to reauthorize the U.S. Fire Administration as well as the Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant programs, Webb pointed out. 

Lieberman was also recognized by the Connecticut Commission on Fire Prevention and Control on behalf of the state's 27,000 career and volunteer firefighters. Wethersfield Fire Marshal Anthony Dignoti, who spoke for the group, pointed out that Lieberman's efforts have resulted in 605 grants totalling $84 million going to Connecticut fire departments since 2001.

Chief Struble told the crowd that grants have allowed the Wallingford Fire Department to increase its membership by creating cable TV commercials to recruit new young members. Grant money also helped the department purchase, among other things, a new ladder truck, self-contained breathing apparatuses, cardiac monitors, and a new radio system.

In July, that new radio system was put to use when an early morning fire broke out at the Silver Pond Apartments elderly housing complex. The Wallingford FD was assisted by engines from Meriden, North Branford and Hamden. Firefighters from all three towns were able to smoothly coordinate their efforts and communicate by radio. That wouldn't have been possible with the old radio system, Struble explained.

In accepting the honor, Lieberman said the work of firefighters has been important to him since his childhood. He fondly recalled spending hours at the fire station around the corner from his home in Stamford. His good friend's father was a firefighter there.

"If we were really lucky," Lieberman remembered, he would "take us one by one to slide down the poles."

The senator also stressed that in these times, "particularly when people are concerned about the cost of government and high taxes," it's important to remember that "there are things the government does for us that we can't do for ouselves. One of those is the fire service."