Hartford County Hoseline

NEWS FROM AROUND THE COUNTY

The Hartford County Fire Emergency Plan monthly meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 at the North Thompsonville Fire Department, 439 Enfield, Street, Enfield, CT., beginning at 19:00 hours.

Directions to NTVFD: Take I-91 north to exit 49 at the end of exit take left on to US RT. 5 (Enfield Street), the station is ½ mile on the left at the traffic light on the corner of Brainard Road. Parking is on the Brainard Road side.

To all department Fire Chiefs, of the HCFEP we have a host department that will host our 2007 Hartford County Memorial Service which is held in October. The host department will be the Windsor Locks Fire Department more information will follow in the September Hoseline. Also I would like to take the time to say thank you to all the department that sent information in to host this year’s event.

The Board of Directors would like to ask all County Fire Chiefs to take the time to speak to their Fire Chaplin to see if they would be interested in becoming the Hartford County Fire Chaplin. One of their focuses in the County in hosting the Annual Hartford County Memorial Service which is held in October. If anyone is interested and needs more information on this position please contact me, John Coelho by e-mail johnsechcfep@yahoo.com fax number 860 747-2137 or by dropping a line to PO Box 447, Plainville, CT. 06062.

HARTFORD COUNTY FIRE EMERGENCY PLAN ANNUAL DINNER MEETING

I also realize that it is only February and June seems far away but circle this date June 20th on your calendar. That is the date for the Hartford County Annual Dinner Meeting which is held at the Farmington Club in Farmington, CT. More information will be forthcoming as we get closer to the date so watch for more information in the Hoseline.

FROM THE DESK OF
SECRETARY JOHN COELHO

To all County Chiefs, Training Officers and House Captains, if there are any changes or information about your department that needs sharing, please let me know ASAP, so that I can include it in the next print of the Hoseline. If there has been a line of Duty Death, a department member has answered his or her last alarm, please let me know as soon as possible so that I can make sure that their name is added to the list and not forgotten at the Annual Hartford County Memorial Service which is held in October during National Fire Prevention Week. Also if someone is sick or in the hospital please forward me their names so it can be read off at the board meetings and plan meetings. You can e-mail me at johnsechcfep@yahoo.com or mail the information to me at PO Box 447, Plainville, CT. 06062 or you can fax me at 860 747-2137 or call me on my cell phone 860 573-5641.

UPCOMING MEETINGS
AND OTHER EVENTS

March 21, 2007 - North Thompsonville Fire Department

May 16, 2007 - TBA

June 20, 2007- Hartford County Fire Emergency Plan Annual Dinner Meeting at the Farmington Club

The meetings are always held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month and start at 19:00 hours.

Battling The Beast

Wearing blue coveralls, they sit sometimes for days, laughing, eating, joking..waiting for one sound, a siren that transforms them. They abandon their armchairs for overcoats of canvas and for rubber boot, their armor heavy and hot. Instead of trading jokes they relay directions and orders and shout reports of the status of the enemy–

“FLAMES ARE VISIBLE”

Fear and excitement grip the hearts of the freshest rookie to the oldest veteran as they jump into their steel Trojan horses perfect from polishing, washing, checking over and over– they pray that they have made no mistakes. The driver navigates the craft through the city streets he knows as well as his family, dodging when possible those that get in the way, hoping those he can’t avoid will see him first, the spot the enemy from blocks away– the phoenix rises far above the trees, licking the sky. They arrive at the scene, and again the battle cry is heard–

“FLAMES ARE VISIBLE”

Smoke fills the air and their lungs as they approach, hoses snaking, crisscrossing, coming to life as they surge with water from yellow and red hydrants that suddenly become grotesque heads of Medusa. They kick open the doors, rubber from their boots leaving a print melted by the heat, and trickling over bubbling paint. Orange liquid flames roll through the building, slithering up and over the walls, breathing in and out with each puff of air. With swords of water they charge and the war begins. They battle–nine or ten against one–seemingly great odds. But the nine soldiers will win, emerging from the battlefield victorious as they always do, and eventually, they’ll retire to their armchairs, thanking God that this time nobody was hit by the enemy fire..

Wondering when was the last time you visited our website at www.hcfep.org. New information is always being added, and with a little bit of your own curiosity you can keep exploring other sites for interesting news and tidbits. This month’s poem is one that I found and would like to share it with you.