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03/29/2017 10:00 AMAmong the many recreation spaces in the town of Essex, one has a history of service to and for the town as well: Grieder Field. The field is a focus of a campaign to raise awareness about both its recreational possibilities, but for the volunteer firefighter training it supports in a time when volunteers are in short supply.
Owned and managed by the Essex Fire Department Association, a non-profit separate from but associated with Essex Fire Engine Co. 1, the field has both a community recreation space and a training facility used by the town’s volunteer fire department and other local departments.
Strickland Hyde III, former chief and member of Engine Co. 1, was one of the founding members of the Essex Fire Department Association and part of the initial search that led to the incorporation of the association and the acquisition of Grieder Field.
“In the late 1970s the fire department was looking for a property for a fireman’s field, for both recreation and for training,” said Hyde. “The association was incorporated in 1979 and we found the property on Plains Road.”
The State of Connecticut, which owned the property at the time, offered the plot to the town of Essex in the 1980s, at which point the association acquired it. The specifics of the lease agreement require that the town be able to use the area for recreational use. The separation of the association from the engine company was both to protect the company and the property itself. In addition to the training facility, Grieder field also hosts a baseball field, which was built in the early 1990s.
“The association’s job is to manage the field,” said Hyde.
The association is comprised of both active and retired members of Engine Co. 1, as well as some members who have donated their time or funds to the organization.
The training facilities are used by Essex Fire Engine Co. 1 as well as the volunteer departments in the neighboring towns. The reason the field needs to be managed and events scheduled is because of the training that occurs; a fire simulation with a ballgame running simultaneously is not a best-case scenario for anyone.
“For training purposes, it has simulated structures which are used to practice entering a building and using the air packs and hoses. It’s about working together, and we do end up working together in a bad situation,” continued Hyde.
Hyde noted that EMS numbers are dwindling and hopes that more awareness of the field, the training facilities, and what goes on there outside of recreation might generate more interest in the volunteer service.
“I grew up in town,” said Hyde. “Becoming a volunteer fireman was readily available. I wish volunteerism was what it was 50, 60, or even 100 years ago. But people have to work; the time is not there as it used to be.
“Years ago, the ambulance used to have 20 to 30 people on its roster, but not today,” continued Hyde. “The fire department can have 60 people on its roster, and it used to be nearly full. Then, we developed the youth programs to get people interested, and those were pretty successful.”
For people who want to learn more about becoming a volunteer, Hyde said the best thing they can do is go down to the station.
“Come down to the station and knock on the door on a Wednesday night, that’s work night,” said Hyde. “They’ll give you a form, and you fill it out and get voted on. Then there is a probationary program, if you pass, then you’re a member of the volunteer department. There’s a bit more to it but that’s the process.
Essex, like most area towns, is struggling to maintain fire service on a completely voluntary basis.
“I don’t know for how much longer it will stay a volunteer department, but I hope it can,” Hyde said. “It’s a great expense if it is a paid service, but [firefighting] is a necessity. The more people that could be active and participate makes it easier for those who are there now.”
He has hopes for the future though, noting that, “young people are more inquisitive and want to get involved.”
The Rotary Club, the Lions Club, and various sports organizations have all held events ranging from community fundraisers to softball tournaments, but, even with the scheduling needs of the field to allow for training for the fire department, both Hyde and scheduling coordinator Nadine Morse said the facility could be used more by the community. To find out more about scheduling a time slot at Grieder Field, contact Morse at 860-767-4980.