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Nomads Open their Doors for Volunteer Firefighter Day

When a fire strikes in Madison, teams of dedicated firefighters arrive on the scene to put out the blaze. It’s often a dangerous job, but the brave men and women of the Madison fire departments volunteer their time to protect the community. On April 9, Volunteer Firefighter Day, the North Madison Volunteer Fire Company opened its doors to give the community a better look at what they do.

Deputy Chief Chris Bernier said the day provided a great opportunity to raise awareness about being a volunteer firefighter.

“We are trying to participate with other departments across the state just to try and increase awareness and let the community know that we are here,” he said.

Across Connecticut, 55 volunteer fire departments held open houses on April 9. Nearly 80 percent of all firefighters in the state are volunteers and a majority of departments are starting to experience personnel shortages.

To try and improve membership levels across the state, a partnership of the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association (CFCA) and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) established the Everyday Hero CT campaign. The campaign is a two-year initiative designed to address the shortage of volunteer firefighters in Connecticut. Volunteer Firefighter Day is just one of many events designed to attract more volunteers.

Both Madison Hose Co. 1 and the North Madison Fire Company are completely volunteer, leaving the departments to fund themselves.

“We rely on donations from the community to help us support our mission and things of that nature,” he said. “For this department, we actually own the building and some of the grounds and the town owns some of our equipment, so a lot of fundraising goes toward supporting our different programs. Having these events helps so that the community can see the equipment and see what we do.”

Currently the North Madison Company has about 60 members with 10 members in its Junior Department, which includes volunteers ranging in age from 15 to 21. Former chief John Brady said the department is proud to be completely volunteer, but the common model for fire departments is slowly changing.

“Combination departments are the fastest growing model,” he said.

Combination departments include both volunteer and career firefighter divisions, a model seen in neighboring towns such as Guilford. Brady said it is a good model, but all-volunteer is a better way to go for the town.

“It is a huge tax savings,” he said

The department attracts a few new volunteers every year, but Brady said it is important to remember that becoming a volunteer doesn’t mean you have to walk into burning buildings.

“Everyone who joins doesn’t have to fight fires,” he said. “We have fire, medical, and office positions.”

Those interested in joining the North Madison Volunteer Fire Company can contact the department at contact@nmvfc.org or go online and fill out an application at www.nmvfc.org.