Cheshire Fire Department
Cheshire Fire Department
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Cheshire Fire Department

The following article is reprinted with permission from the author, Matthew Palmer, from the March 2010 Edition of Fire Apparatus Journal Magazine:

Located 14 miles north of the City of New Haven and 25 miles south of the City of Hartford, the Town of Cheshire was recently ranked as one of the 100 Best Places To Live in the United States. With its central location in the State and close proximity to many larger Connecticut cities and colleges, including nearby Yale University; Cheshire is the ideal location and community for its nearly 30,000 residents.

The Town of Cheshire is known as “The Bedding Plant Capital of Connecticut” due to the large number of local agricultural farms that still grow and widely distribute many varieties of annual and perennial “bedding” style plants. Like many communities in this area, agriculture and farming were the primary industries in town for many years. As farming revenues began to decline and real estate values increased, many of the acres of fields were sold or redeveloped for various uses. In recent years, significant growth in the north end of town has replaced some of the pristine farmland with planned industrial and corporate parks.  Interstates 84 and 691 run through the northern perimeter of town and Interstate 91 is located only a few miles to the east. The proximity to these highways has made the north end of Cheshire an attractive location for many commercial transportation and retail distribution companies. The area is now home to the many of the town’s largest employers and has several food and retail distribution facilities that supply businesses throughout the northeast and Atlantic seaboard. In addition, Cheshire is home to 4 large State prisons, several assisted living and retirement communities, a large private school campus, as well as, more than 9,200 private residences.

The Cheshire Fire Department (CFD) was organized in 1912 and is responsible for protecting the 33.4 square miles of town. The Cheshire Fire Department is actually comprised of two organizations, the Cheshire Municipal Fire Department and the Cheshire Fire Department Incorporated. The Municipal Department was established in 2004 and has five employees; the Chief of Department, Fire Marshal, two Deputy Fire Marshals and two administrative assistants. The Cheshire Fire Department Inc. is entirely comprised of 75 volunteer members that operate seamlessly with the municipal department to provide essential services to the community. The Town of Cheshire maintains a fire protection agreement with the Cheshire Volunteer Fire Department Inc. to provide fire protection service to the town, while the Municipal Department handles the daily administrative, plan review, code enforcement and fire investigation services. Both organizations are under the leadership of Fire Chief Jack Casner, who is the department’s first career Fire Chief.

The Fire Department responds from three stations and currently operates with seven Engines, one tower ladder, one snorkel truck, two heavy rescue trucks, one brush truck, one collapse unit, one boat, and several staff and support vehicles. The fleet is almost entirely comprised of apparatus built by Pierce Manufacturing of Appleton, Wisconsin.

Located in the geographical center of town is Fire Headquarters. The main headquarters building was built in 1982 and houses the department’s administrative, fire marshals, and public relations divisions. Several apparatus are stationed here as well. Engine 6 is the Department’s most recent delivery and is the first due from Headquarters for all structural responses. Engine 6 is a 2009 Pierce Arrow XT 1250 gpm pumper with a 750 gallon tank. A unique feature distinguishing Engine 6 is that the entire rear wall of the cab body has had the traditional diamond plate covering replaced with chevron striping. This was a first of a kind for Pierce and greatly assists with rear and side apparatus visibility when positioning on the roadway or Interstate. 

Engine 2 is the first out apparatus for all rescue incidents and vehicle fires. It responds with a 2006 Pierce Dash 1250 gpm pumper with a 750 gallon tank. Engine 4 is also stationed at Headquarters and responds as the first due pumper to all brush fires and will also fill in as the reserve pumper Department wide, when needed. Engine 4 is 1992 Pierce Lance 1500 gpm pumper with 750 gallons of water. Truck 2 is a 1998 Pierce 100 foot rear-mount tower ladder with no on-board pump. Truck 2 rolls as the primary Ladder Company to the center, northern and west side of town. Rescue 1 is a 2003 Pierce Quantum Heavy Rescue with a 23 foot non-walk in body. Rescue 1 responds as the primary rescue truck town wide. Brush 1 is a 1995 Ford F-350 forestry unit that responds on all brush fires town wide. Fire Headquarters also houses a John Deere Gator, which is stored inside an 18 foot Wells Cargo Trailer.

Located directly adjacent to the main Headquarters building is the former main fire station that served the town from 1953 to 1982. This building is still used by the fire department for smaller vehicle and equipment storage. The Department’s Training Division also recently moved into renovated facilities within this building and has an office and classroom here. Several support vehicles are also housed here, they include: Car 5, a 1998, Ford Expedition, which runs as the daily duty Officer’s and Incident Command Vehicle. Car 6 is a 2000 Ford Excursion, which is used for personnel transport. The Department’s only boat, Marine 1, a 16 foot Zodiac boat and the Department’s antique apparatus, a 1913 Ford Model-T, are also located here.

Located in the south end of Cheshire, is Station 3. Station 3 was built in 1970 as a sub-station for Fire Headquarters and provides apparatus to the southern-half of the town. Station 3 underwent an extensive overhaul in 2007 and has been completely renovated and expanded to house multiple apparatus, as well as, additional living, bunk room, and meeting space. First due to all structural responses from Station 3 is Engine 7, a 2000 Pierce Dash 1250 gpm pumper with a 750 gallon water tank. Engine 5 is a 2005 Pierce Dash 1250 gpm pumper with a 750 tank and responds as the first-out piece from Station 3 for all rescue incidents and vehicle fires. Truck 1 is the first-due aerial ladder for the south end of town and responds with a 1970 Maxim open cab and chassis with Pierce bodywork and a 75 foot Snorkel, there is no onboard pump. Pierce refurbished this unit in 1987 and is now believed to be one of the last known open cab Maxim/Pierce Snorkels still in service in New England. 

Located on the northwestern edge of the town is Company 2. The Cheshire Heights Neighborhood Association originally founded this station in 1954 as a small 2 bay Station in response to the growing number of residential structures located in their immediate area and the demand for increased fire protection on the west side of town. In 2005, this Station was also completely rebuilt, remodeled and expanded to include a new 4 bay apparatus floor, expanded living, bunk room and meeting space. Today, the Station is first-due to the western half of town and Interstate 84, which is located only an 1/8 mile from Company 2. Engine 1 is the primary pumper from Company 2 and responds with a 2001 Pierce Dash 1250 gpm pumper with a 750 gallon tank. Engine 3 is the second pumper located here and responds first-out for all brush fires or can fill-in for Engine 1 when required. Engine 3 is a 1990 Pierce Lance 1500 gpm pumper with 750 gallons of water. Rescue 2 is a 1998 Pierce Heavy Rescue with a 22 foot walk-in body and responds to all rescue incidents on the west side of town and Interstates 84 and 691. Rescue 2 also carries the Department’s hazardous materials equipment and can serve as the incident command post or rehab unit.

Also housed at Company 2 is Collapse 1, a collapse and trench rescue truck that was established as a joint venture and funded by the Towns of Cheshire, Prospect, and Wolcott. Company 2 is located within a short distance of all 3 towns and this truck can quickly respond to collapse and trench rescue incidents in any of the 3 jurisdictions. Collapse 1 is a former rental truck with a 22 foot box that is built on a 1993 Ford F700 chassis.

The Cheshire Fire Department is a progressive agency that is constantly focused on trying to improve the delivery of services to its residents and provide the safest apparatus and equipment for its members. Under the direction of the Fire Chief, the entire fleet of apparatus has recently been retrofitted to include front and rear chevron striping, including matching chevrons on the hose bed covers on all pumpers. The Department is also working to improve response times and the growing call volume in the north end of town by developing plans for a fourth Fire Station to be built near Interstate 691 and many of the corporate and industrial parks in that area. In addition to the north end station, specifications are being discussed for a new ladder truck to replace the 1970 Snorkel at Truck 1 and a replacement pumper for Engine 3. 

 

 

 



Monthly Incidents
2023 2021 2022
Jan 56 53 75
Feb 90 43 76
Mar 70 61 79
Apr 82 59 80
May 80 66 79
Jun 55 70 82
Jul 89 86 74
Aug 90 68 77
Sep 106 83 88
Oct 77 93 76
Nov 90 77 79
Dec 93 64 93

Incident Totals
2020 941 2023 978
2019 925 2022 958
2018 958 2021 823
2017 755
2016 795
2015 755
2014 699
2013 752
2012 759
2011 1131
2010 658
2009 826
2008 850
2007 996
2006 863

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