Following nearly four months hiatus due to COVID-19, Sandy Hook firefighters returned to their training schedule on Sunday morning. Led by instructors from Fire Training Innovations (FTI), firefighters assembled outdoors behind Sandy Hook's main station and spent the morning training on stabilizing and extrication. Firefighters used cribbing, air jacks, blocks and other tools in multiple configurations. 

During the past month, with families being asked to continue the "Stay Home-Stay Safe" COVID-19 protocols, Sandy Hook VFR has been invited to deliver smiles to some of the youngest members of our fire district. Parents have reached out with requests for fire trucks to drive past their home, and our members have responded.Following are photos from some of the birthday events done in April.We thank parents for inviting us to be part of their children's big days. Click here to se...

During this time of social distancing, Sandy Hook VFR has done two special visits to young residents within our fire district.On Sunday, April 5, Firefighters Scott Allen, Pete Barresi, John Eisele, Matt Schapiro and Shannon Will took Engine 442 out for a ride to extend birthday wishes to two brothers. Born a few years apart, the boys both celebrate their birthday on April 5.Then on Friday, April 10, FFs Allen, Barresi, Eisele and Will again took a ride. This time they had Engine 442 and the OIC...

Following a classroom session on January 27, Sandy Hook VFR firefighters assembled on Sunday, February 9, for the practical session of Tech Rescue Training.Fire Training Innovations (FTI) Instructor Pete Morotto worked with firefighters that morning, going over the equipment that would be needed in different types of rescue operations. 

For the 17th year, firefighters from all five of Newtown's companies worked on a pre-Thanksgiving food collection for FAITH Food Pantry.At the concluding of this year's five-hour event, shoppers at Newtown's Big Y and Stop & Shop supermarkets donated 55 turkeys, filled 72 boxes with nonperishables, and presented $2,536 in cash and gift cards to firefighters. As in years past, members of Sandy Hook, Hawleyville and Hook & Ladder were staged outside Big Y World Class Market on ...

Sandy Hook VFR firefighters returned to Fairfield Hills for the second time this year to continue training with ladders. The company's November 10 training, done with FTI, continued and expanded upon work that had been started in April.Firefighters began by staging outside Shelton Hall, near the center of the Fairfield Hills campus. They worked on ladder basics first, covering different lengths of straight ladders, carrying them, and then safely throwing them. Firefighters used 16, 24 a...

Approximately 30 SHVFR firefighters spent nearly two hours with instructors from FTI on Monday night, continuing their training with SCBA and learning techniques to rescue victims and downed firefighters from buildings. Pete Morotto and Derek Currao from Fire Training Innovations discussed SCBA skills on Monday, continuing some of the training done earlier this month. The two demonstrated various ways firefighters could rescue a downed firefighter inside a building, using harnesses and webb...

Approximately 25 members of Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue marched in the 2019 Bridgewater Country Fair Fireman's Parade this year, and at the end of the evening the group returned home with three trophies.Sandy Hook earned honors for Best Overall Appearing Fire Company, Most Firefighters in the Line of March and The David Lathrop Host Award. 

Sandy Hook firefighters spent Sunday morning training with instructors from Fire Training Innovations, who went over competent SCBA use, donning SCBA efficiently, low-profile use of the tanks, and mayday protocol. While Pete Morotto and Derek Currao from FTI worked with about two dozen firefighters on those topics, FTI instructor Bret Newport worked with the company's Junior Corps and probationary members, offering an overview of the same equipment.  

Sandy Hook firefighters worked with Fire Training Innovations for its Sunday training in July, returning to some basics: hose line and nozzle works.Pete Morotto and Derek Currao from FTI led firefighters through a series of rotations that focused on basic advancement techniques.Teams of two first spent time working on techniques, including stream checks, first line in, and company emergencies including fire behind firefighters. The two instructors also discussed and demonstrated efficient w...

During the same meeting when Second Assistant Chief Andrew Ryan was named SHVVR's Outstanding Member of the Year, company members elected the men and women who will serve as firefighting/line and administrative officers for the period of July 1, 2019-June 30, 2020.Bill Halstead will continue as chief, entering his 42nd year in that position. Additional line officers are as follows: Deputy Chief, Anthony Capozziello; 1st Assistant Chief, Ryan Clark; 2nd Assistant Chief, Andy Ryan; C...

During its annual meeting on June 3, Sandy Hook VFR members learned that Andrew Ryan had been selected as the 2019 Outstanding Member of the Year.Currently serving as the company’s Second Assistant Chief, Mr Ryan has been a member of SHVFR since January 2011. He began showing a serious interest in the fire company during his probationary period that year, according to information read by Chuck Kilson during the meeting.Mr Kilson was joined by fellow Outstanding Member Committee member Stev...

Longtime SHVFR Chief Bill Halstead was formally announced on May 10 as the Grand Marshal for the 2019 Newtown Labor Day Parade.This year's parade will step off at 10 am from Main Street at Currituck Road. The parade route will follow its traditional path: south on Main Street to its intersection with Glover Avenue (at the Glover-Sugar Street-Main Street-South Main Street four-way intersection), turning onto Glover, crossing Glover, and then turning onto Queen Street. Marchers will pass the J...

Sandy Hook VFR and Newtown Hook & Ladder collaborated on training in April, with members of both companies assembling at Fairfield Hills to work with ladders. Hook & Ladder Chief Chris Ward led the training. Firefighters went over the different types of ladders in their companies, and their expected uses; and then spent time setting ground ladders up around a former Fairfield Hills State Hospital residential building. While those rotations were being done, other firefighters worked ...

Sandy Hook VFR firefighters spent nearly four hours on the ice of Lake Lillinonah Sunday morning, when they were joined by four members of Newtown Underwater Search And Rescue (NUSAR) for ice water training. Having met at Sandy Hook’s main station, participants regrouped at the town’s boat launch, where four inches of clean ice and 20+ degrees provided an ideal training setting.Under the guidance of Mike McCarthy and Applied Rescue Technique LLC, a Sandy Hook based technical rescue t...

Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue finished 2018 with 703 calls recorded. That's the busiest year we had since 2011, when we responded to 850 calls for help.2018's numbers represent an increase of 52.49% over the number of calls we responded to in 2017, when we responded to 461 calls.Many of last year's calls came in March and May (103 and 140 calls, respectively), when we had two large storms pass through the area. (For details, visit our Call Volume page.)&n...

UPDATE (Thursday, December 20, 2018): Three more photos have been added to this post. Wreaths are now sold out, but plenty of trees that average 6 feet tall are still available as we head into our final weekend of the 2018 Christmas Trees, etc Sale.* * * * * Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue is heading toward its fourth weekend of Christmas Tree Sales, and sales continue to be steady.As of December 13, the tallest trees in this year's inventory have all been sold. Shoppers will fin...

Sandy Hook firefighters spent the morning of December 9 doing their annual pump operations training.This year the session was led by Jim Gies, a State fire instructor and member of Oxford Center Fire Co.Following a brief classroom session, the group went outside to the back parking lot of Sandy Hook's main station. Three stations were set up: Engine 442 was at the first, where members did tank to pump procedures; Engine 441 was the anchor for the second station, where drafting and a water so...

Thank you to some of our tree sale supporters, who have been sharing photos of the trees they purchased from us this holiday season.Want to share a photo of your tree? Send an email to SHVFR Secretary Shannon Will or send a message through our Facebook page. And thank you to everyone for your continued support! 

Santa Claus and a group of his friends from Tolland Fire Department spent the afternoon and early evening in Sandy Hook on December 2, offering rides on Engine 12-25 to dozens of people.It was the third annual visit by the group, who made the trek even with overcast skies and a steady mist.