CHESHIRE FIRE DEPARTMENT
QUARTERLY WRITEUP
JULY - SEPTEMBER 2022

Over the past three months, the Cheshire Fire Department has continued to successfully provide
fire and rescue services to the Cheshire community. In addition to emergency responses, the
CFD’s members have continued to attend comprehensive training and administrative meetings,
perform equipment upkeep, and provide fire safety outreach throughout town.
Training drills during July, August, and September have included forcible entry, high-angle
rescue, vehicle extrication, and ladders. These drills are extremely hands-on, and always include
simulations of real-world scenarios. In August, several recruit members began their coursework
to be certified as State of Connecticut Firefighter I, which is a requirement for all regular
members in the CFD.
An ongoing aerial operators class continued over the summer. Several other members of the
CFD undertook driver training required before beginning the Department’s pump operator
course. The Cheshire Fire Department consistently emphasizes safe driving by all members and
continuing driver training and driver safety is a priority.
Between July and September, the CFD answered 261 calls for help. (During the same period, the
CFD responded to 277 calls in 2020 and 237 calls in 2021.) The majority of these (136) were
false alarms, but some activated alarm calls did result in smoke and/or fire conditions. Because
this is always a possibility, the CFD treats every call for help seriously. Notable calls over the
past three months included a garage/barn fire, water rescue calls, and a small fire due to a
lightning strike. The call total also included numerous vehicle fires and rescue calls due to motor
vehicle collisions.
Over the past three months, there were two new applications for membership with the CFD, three
junior firefighters advanced to recruit firefighters, and two members completed all training and
their recruit phase to be sworn in as regular firefighters. Three new officers were sworn in during
July: Captain Mark Adkins, Lieutenant Dennis Pechmann, and Lieutenant James Schlauder.
October is fire safety month, and the CFD is preparing as usual. This year, an open house will be
held at Fire Headquarters, 250 Maple Avenue, on October 16th - details will be posted on social
media, on the CFD website (www.cheshirefd.org), and in local papers. As a reminder, please
remember to check the batteries in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors when clocks
change back to standard time.
Mark Kasinskas, Life Member