Hollywood Help Gets WHFD Lifesaving Equipment

WEST HARTFORD, CT — Grant funding courtesy of a famous actor and comic is helping West Hartford firefighters escape high-rise buildings should disaster strike in town.

On Monday, they received and began training on the so-called "bailout kits," which provide firefighters with the means to leave a burning building quickly on the exterior, even if they're on upper floors.

"Starting today the entire department is being issued and trained on these new kits. The fire ground is an extremely dynamic environment which can rapidly change," wrote West Hartford Firefighters Local 1241 via social media.

"These kits allow our firefighters to safely exit a building from an upper floor in an emergency situation. This is especially important given the vertical growth of our community."

"Vertical growth" is in reference to a growing number of multi-story buildings and building proposals going on in West Hartford.

Such kits are needed currently and that will only increase as future developments continue in town.

The "bailout kits" were funded from a grant the department received a year ago from the Leary Firefighters Foundation.

The foundation is named for actor and comedian Denis Leary, who was an MTV personality in the 1990s, is a noted standup comic and has evolved into a prominent character actor in movies and television.

But in 1999, six firefighters were tragically killed in an empty warehouse building in Worcester, Mass.

They were searching for two homeless individuals reported in the building, a report that was unfounded.

Leary, who hails from the Boston area, lost a cousin and family friend in that tragic blaze.

He quickly created his foundation.

The Leary grant program was developed with the goal being to help fire departments get the resources and equipment they need to save lives and property.

West Hartford's firefighters union said it was grateful to many for the funding and the bailout kits, which could save lives in the future.

"Our deepest thanks goes to the Leary Firefighters Foundation, who continues to place firefighter safety and survivability first. A special thanks also to our Captain Adam Pacheco who worked without compromise to secure this prestigious, non-matching grant for our members," wrote the union.

"Also, a huge thank you to Flash Fire Industries for conducting our in-service training on this life saving equipment."

For the West Hartford Firefighters Union Local 1241 Facebook page, click on this link.