Fire Ops 101

Welcome back as we at the Middletown Fire Department continue on with our series detailing our services. The next team we will talk about is the Marine Unit. Outfitted with a 24 foot Sea Ark with twin 135 horse Mercury outboards, this team can handle a multitude of calls. From supporting the dive team to extinguishing fires on the water they have many roles. The unit has 19 team members who are trained in river navigation. Each operator is trained to an approved Coast Guard training regime. This year alone the team has amassed 445 hours in training. With this training the department has been recognized as the Coast Guards’ rescue agency in the Middletown area. Responses have gone as north as Rocky Hill, and as far south as Essex. The equipment on board the Unit makes it possible to respond to any incident on the water.

Hale pumping system leads the way for any marine fires on the river. The pump is capable of delivering 250 gallons a minute from a fixed nozzle located on the front of the unit. A Garmin GPS and a Furuno Radar system allow this unit to handle night operations with ease. An electric winch and towing bar assist with any vessels that have lost their power and need to be towed into dock. As the Coast Guards’ recognized safety agency, we receive many calls for this service. Along with a full complement of dive equipment, medical equipment, and cold water survival suits this unit can operate any time of year. It is docked on the river for 7 months out of the year. The department chooses to remove the boat from the water around November 1st, and place it back in around April 1st. The reason is the Connecticut River is subject to heavy ice flows in the winter months. This unit can be damaged by these flows, but is also capable of being launched if it is needed.

Backing up all river operations no matter where the call is, we have a 3 boat mutual aid agreement with both Portland Fire and South Fire District. Whenever a call comes in for one of the departments all three respond for back up and safety reasons. Because the River can become quite congested and dangerous it is the safest for any department involved to have these backups in place. Portland Fire is capable of delivering water to any fire, and is a partner with our Dive team. South Fire District also provides a dive team off their marine unit, which can be used to support Middletown and Portland.

Additional units are available to the Marine Division. A Robalo 18 foot craft with a 135 horse Mercury is also available. Currently assigned to the Harbor Master, this boat is part of the department’s inventory. Additionally with a donation received from the Middletown Lion’s club, we also have a 20 foot pontoon boat with a 48 horse Johnson on board. Future use of the vessel will include use as a dive platform for the department dive team. With help from the Lion’s club, monies will be donated to bring it up to this capability. Two 10 foot inflatable boats along with 10 horsepower motors are also available in each station for any lake or smaller river operations.

If you have any questions regarding this team please contact one of the team leaders. They are Lieutenant Albert Leary or Lieutenant Chris Augeri. You can also contact Chief Gary Ouellette or Deputy Chief Robert Kronenberger at (860)343-8004. Thank you for following our series. Next up will be the Hazardous Materials Team, followed by the final, a general explanation of all the services combined and the four shift make up.