Three Connecticut Locals Host 4th Successful Fire Ops

October 17, 2011 – Three Connecticut affiliates – Fairfield Local 1426, Westport Local 1081 and Stratford Local 998 –held a joint Fire Ops 101 at the Fairfield Regional Fire School. At the event, local decision makers and media learned about the challenges first responders face on a daily basis.

Participants included Fairfield Board of Finance Vice Chairman and First Selectman candidate Robert Bellitto Jr., Fairfield Representative Town Meeting (RTM) Moderator Jeffrey Steele (R-2) and Stratford Councilmen Dave Fuller (D-6) and John Dempsey (R-5), along with newspaper reporters Jason Bagley and Mike Lauterborn. The Fairfield RTM is an elected body of 50 residents who vote on the town budget, town ordinances and labor agreements.

“After going through the evolutions, the decision-makers all commented on how they really did not understand how difficult our job was until now,” says IAFF Local 1426 President Bob Smith, a co-organizer of the event. Stratford IAFF Local 998 President Bill Hanson and Westport IAFF Local 1081 President Nate Gibbons also helped arrange the event.

Smith adds, “The hope is that they will keep this experience in mind as they make decisions about our funding and resources.”

The evolutions included vehicle extrication, ladder maneuvers, ventilating a building and a live burn.