By Michael P. Walsh
Special to the Voice
For the fourth straight year, the city joined West Haven’s three fire departments to celebrate Fire Prevention Week at an exposition of all things fire, emergency management, public safety, police and health at Savin Rock on Oct. 5.
The West Haven Fire, Emergency Management, 911 ERS, Police & Health Expo brought together families and first responders — firefighters, police officers, EMTs, health care professionals — from across the state for hands-on activities and interactive demonstrations to promote public safety education.
The large public exhibition, fittingly held on the eve and 102nd anniversary of Fire Prevention Week, was organized by West Haven Fire Department Chief James P. O’Brien, West Shore Fire Department Chief Stephen Scafariello, City of West Haven Fire Department Allingtown Chief Michael R. Terenzio and retired city Human Resources Commissioner Beth A. Sabo, who is now a volunteer in Mayor Dorinda Borer’s office.
West Haven’s storied fire service includes the independent West Haven Fire Department, which serves the First Fire Taxation, or Center, District, and the independent West Shore Fire Department, which serves the Shore’s 2nd District. It also includes the 3rd District’s formerly independent Allingtown Fire Department, which was taken over by the city in July 2012 and is now known as the City of West Haven Fire Department Allingtown.
Collectively, the departments have been in operation for 355 years: West Haven since 1888, Allingtown since 1907 and West Shore since 1918.
The free shoreline exposition featured an array of fire engine and firetruck displays, including antique fire apparatus. The colorful fleet was spread along the park grounds of historic Savin Rock.
The five-hour expo included marine units, rides in West Haven’s 1935 Mack pump firetruck and the More Than Dough fried dough truck.
It also included educational demonstrations on smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, home fire sprinklers, and fire code and investigation.
Danny, the West Haven Fire Department’s station and therapy dog, and Sparky the Fire Dog engaged with children.
On the Savin Rock stage, The Greg Sherrod Band performed a set of blues, soul and R&B hits, and INITY Reggae Band played a set of reggae favorites.
West Haven Fire Marshal Roger Sicotte demonstrated the department’s smoke trailer and show children what to do in case of a fire. Sicotte and Fire Inspector Lts. Russell LaRiviere and Eric Sobolewski also displayed information on fire education and prevention.
West Shore Fire Marshal Keith T. Flood demonstrated a home fire sprinkler during a live burn. The side-by-side burn consisted of two 8-by-8-foot cells, one with a sprinkler and one without. The burn showed the fire’s destruction on a structure without a sprinkler, compared with minimal damage to a structure with a sprinkler. The demonstration was sponsored by the Connecticut Fire Sprinkler Coalition to show the importance of home sprinklers, which can save lives and reduce property damage, Flood said.
West Haven and West Shore firefighters also demonstrated the Jaws of Life tool by prying open parts of a vehicle to free those trapped inside. The vehicle was provided by Bruneau’s Garage of West Haven.
As part of Allingtown’s Child Safety Car Seat Installation and Inspection Program, firefighters led by Capt. Jason Cameron installed car seats for people. They also inspected those already installed to ensure that the portable seats were properly fastened for securing small children. The department has installed more than 100 car seats in the past three years.
Representatives from the Coast Guard and other armed forces and members of the University of New Haven’s Fire Science Club presented information on programs. Members of the UNH club also showed children and adults how to use a fire extinguisher.
Members of West Haven Boy Scout Troop 821, the first all-girl Boy Scouts of America troop established in the U.S., sold a variety of popcorn for their fundraiser. The troop’s charter sponsor is the Allingtown Fire Department, led by liaison John Ordazzo, a department firefighter since 1999.
Retired West Haven fire Lt. William Heffernan III, the department’s historian, showed his 1920 Ford Model T firetruck, while his son, volunteer William Heffernan IV, sold department merchandise, including 125th anniversary books, coins, mugs, placemats, pewter Christmas ornaments, and pin and patch sets.
Director Nicholas DeJohn and dispatchers of the 911 Communications Center at West Haven police headquarters educated people on the city’s Emergency Reporting System and handed out coloring books, emergency care kits and other informational materials. ERS dispatchers also showed city residents how to call 911 during an exercise in which they called the 911 center so the residents could talk with the call-taker and listen to questions.
Members of the West Haven police Special Response Team showed the department’s BearCat armored vehicle. Crime prevention Sgt. Scott Allard and school resource and training officers gave out informational materials on public safety, crime prevention and law enforcement programs, along with backpacks, coloring books, crayons, gun locks, T-shirts and key rings. Also, K-9 Sgt. Thomas Marchitto and his police dog, Ado, put on a demonstration.
Public health nurse Stacie L. Walsh of the city Health Department checked blood pressures, and health educator Coraly Colon displayed information on overdose awareness, mosquito prevention and hurricane preparedness. Walsh and Colon also passed out medication sorters, insect repellent, hand sanitizer and fentanyl test strips.
Members of Yale University, including Allingtown Board of Fire Commissioners Chairwoman Iris Diaz, signed up people to participate in clinical trial research studies.
Amanda Foertsch, a representative of the West Haven Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, presented information on the city’s Community Emergency Response Team, storm preparation, post-storm recovery, and natural and human-made disasters.
Emergency Management Director Rick Fontana said the CERT program, which needs volunteers, educates volunteers on disaster preparedness for hazards that could impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations.
Foertsch also signed up residents for the city’s emergency notification system to receive alerts. Sign up at https://www.cityofwesthaven.com/alerts.
The Citizen Notification System enables the city to quickly provide residents with critical information in various situations, such as severe weather, unexpected road closures, missing persons, and building or neighborhood evacuations, Fontana said.
The system is operated in partnership with Everbridge Inc. of Burlington, Massachusetts, the world leader in incident notification systems.
Once registered in Everbridge’s secure database, the site will send subscribers time-sensitive messages via cell, home or business phones, email or text messages, hard-of-hearing receiving devices, and more. The notifications are broadcast through West Haven’s Emergency Operations Center.