In this section of our website, you can learn all about the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company and how we serve the public. Below you will find a history of how our Company came to be, and how it has evolved over its lifetime to become the emergency services provider we are today. Use the buttons on the left to navigate throughout the numerous sub-sections and learn more about us, our town, how we do what we do, and the about the fire service in general. Once again, we thank you very much for visiting and hope you return time-and-time again.

Located in north-central Connecticut, the Town of Simsbury straddles the Farmington River. By nature, the area is fertile and agriculture has been prevalent throughout the town's history. By the 1940's, farming was still significant and there were several businesses which supported the farming community. There were other businesses as well, most notably Ensign-Bickford Industries who were known world-wide for their blasting products.

	Delivery test of Ensign-Bickford's 1935 American LaFrance pumper.

Ensign-Bickford's plant consisted of many buildings for research and production, and the company also owned numerous homes in Simsbury to house their employees. Such exposures raised concerns within the company which ultimately led to the purchase of a 1935 American LaFrance pumper to suppress fires at these properties. A brigade was formed from their employees and once trained, they served not only the Ensign-Bickford Company, but the community of Simsbury as well.

The world was at war in 1944, and Simsbury  was a  town of nearly 4,000 people. Ensign-Bickford was an important supplier to the U.S. Government in the war effort, and because of the demand for increased production, coupled with the loss of employees due to the draft, the company found itself with inadequate resources to maintain a fire department. In January 1944, Ensign-Bickford Industries notified the Simsbury Board of Selectmen that they wished to terminate their participation in providing fire protection for the town.

Members attending the very first Fire Company drill with State Board of Education Instructor Chief John Pachl.

Simsbury acted quickly and organized a committee to resolve the issue. It was decided that a group of volunteers would be formed to take over fire fighting duties for the town. On April 12, 1944, Robert Pringle organized a group of interested men and these first volunteers would become the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company. Draft-exemption was a prerequisite so that the group would not lose members as the Ensign-Bickford brigade had. Training was seen as a priority and twelve of the first seventeen volunteers were selected to attend a class in "Firefighting Techniques" sponsored by the Connecticut State Board of Education. The remaining five members were tasked with drafting the bylaws for the new Fire Company.

It became obvious that the new department had to be financed in some manner. A special meeting was held on June 5, 1944 and the Simsbury Fire District was created to finance the fire protection for the town. On that same evening, the newly-elected District Officers appointed the first Fire Commissioners who in turn named Lea Hutchinson as the first fire chief, a position he held for many years.

	Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company circa 1945

The volunteer ranks quickly grew to 26 members, and with things coming together, the members elected to incorporate and become the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company on June 29, 1944.

With the Company formed and a group ready to serve, there was a need for equipment. On July 2, 1944, Ensign-Bickford Industries turned over their 1935 American LaFrance pumper to the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company who was now in the business of providing fire protection to the Town of Simsbury. This apparatus would become known as Engine 1.

The Company and District would begin to grow almost immediately, and would continue to grow along with the town. The war not only meant shortages on manpower, but also shortages of materials. Through the dedication and ingenuity of the Company's members, these obstacles would be overcome.

This spirit first manifested itself when it was recognized that there was a need to get water to outlying areas which weren't covered by the local water system. In August 1944, a tank truck capable of carrying 1,050 gallons of water and pumping 500 GPM was purchased from the U.S. Treasury Department. By today's standards, this sounds more like a pumper than a tanker, but at the time, carrying a 1,050 gallons of water to the scene was an amazing feat.

The original Engine 2 was a tank truck which was purchased from the U.S. Treasury Department and rebuilt by Fire Company members from whatever parts and materials they could come by during the war.

The members of the Company went to work repairing the truck. The pumping system was built with old steam valves from a discarded sawmill, the bumper made from pieces of an old bridge, and the running boards and other steel work were made from an old brine tank donated by a farmer as a reward for doing a good job at a fire at his place. Engine 2 was now on the line and answered its first call just 31 days after it rolled into town.

With the war over, the town continued to grow and more equipment was needed to cover the outlying areas. None the less, prosperity didn't over-ride thrift. An agreement was reached between the Company and the District, that if the District would supply a chassis, the Company would build another tank truck. Under the direction of member Carl Banks, and at his garage in Weatogue, a 600 gallon tank truck was constructed from new materials and Engine 4 was placed into service in 1948 after having passed an Underwriter's Test.

	Before the Main Station was built, Engine 1 was stored for a period in a garage owned by member Fred Bourgeois. The Simsbury Bottle Shop now occupies this building.

Housing the rapidly-growing apparatus fleet was challenging too. The original West Simsbury Station was a hay barn located in the center of West Simsbury village. It was utilized for many years until members of the Company built a new West Simsbury Station in 1962, and the barn subsequently returned to its original use. Another barn was utilized to house apparatus for some time on the east side of the Farmington River because of the weight restrictions placed on the bridges of the day. Then in 1952, Company members once again came together to build another fire station, Bushy Hill.

More can be learned about the history of our apparatus fleet and fire stations in their respective sections.

Until 1983, the Tariffville Volunteer Fire Company provided fire protection for the village of Tariffville, located in the northeast section of Simsbury. The Company was formed in 1939 because the citizens of Tariffville felt that it took Ensign-Bickford too long to respond to fires in their section of town. On June 30, 1983, the Tariffville Volunteer Fire Company was dissolved, the members who wished to join the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company did so, and the Simsbury Fire District took possession of the Tariffville Station and their apparatus, and assumed responsibility for providing fire protection in the Village of Tariffville.

The Boston Clock at town hall.

The Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1994. Wanting to mark the occasion, the anniversary committee elected to present the town and citizens of Simsbury with a cast iron clock as a token of appreciation for all the support the Fire company had received through the years.

The anniversary committee went about the task of seeking funding for the project. In a generous gesture of support and appreciation for the Fire Company, the Ensign-Bickford Foundation offered to completely fund the project. The Boston Clock graces the front lawn of Simsbury's town hall and was dedicated on December 13, 1994.

While the Fire District provides the financial support for the fire protection within our town, the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company provides the operational support. The Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company and the Simsbury Fire District are two institutions who have served the community very well through the years, which is why both have survived since their inception, evolving into the first-class fire department which serves the citizens of Simsbury today.

	Fire Company photograph taken July 2009.

From our humble beginning as a department with one engine stored in a borrowed garage, the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company has grown steadily through the years, always rising to meet new challenges and keep pace with the needs of the community. The Fire Company and town have always been fortunate in that there has always been an abundance of people ready to step forward and volunteer. Even though the Fire Company losses members from time to time, we have enjoyed a steady roster of ninety active firefighters and a dozen junior firefighters on average, for several years. Some of our members continue the commitment to service which began in early generations, as the Company contains several second and third-generation firefighters.

Second-generation members Retired Lutenant Dave Driscoll and Retired Captain Rich Driscoll.

Additionally, the town and Fire Company have also been fortunate regarding the resources provided to them by the Simsbury Fire District. This is a result of the District's vision and sound fiscal policies, and is an equally important ingredient as to the level of protection in which we are able to offer the citizens of Simsbury.

Currently there are seven engines, two aerials, two rescues, one tanker, one brush unit, two marine units, and several other support pieces quartered in six stations throughout the Town of Simsbury. Most of the original stations have been replaced and now offer amenities such as apparatus exhaust venting and drive-through bays. Apparatus are kept in good mechanical condition and are well-equipped. The department is fortunate to have three thermal imagers, and several automatic defibrillators onboard for firefighter safety.

The Fire Company typically responds to approximately 500 emergency and non-emergency incidents per year. Many of our firefighters are trained to the first responder medical level, and there are also several EMT's in the department. However, first responder duty is handled by the police department and EMS is handled by the Simsbury Volunteer Ambulance Association, a separate entity within the Town of Simsbury.

Simsbury is a wonderful community in which to live and raise a family, as witnessed by its growth. When the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company was formed in 1944, approximately 4,000 people called the town's 34.5 square miles home. Today, the population has swelled to over 23,000 people, and there are 6,500 families in 8,500 households. Not only has the population grown larger because of the town's prosperity, but the size of new homes are growing larger too. It is not uncommon for new homes to be constructed in excess of 4,000 square feet, nor to be built some distance from the closest hydrant.

	Irrigation equipment being evaluated as a portable water main during a drill in 1950.

Members of Fire Company today still face some of the same challenges that the original members confronted, and more. Structure fires remain a primary concern for the department, and there still is the need to bring water to the fire in areas without hydrants.

To prepare for scenarios as these, the department holds several live burn drills each year accompanied by evolutions associated with fire suppression such as search and rescue, ventilation and ladder skills. The department also hones their skills in the arts of drafting and water shuttling, to ensure that we can bring water from a source to the fire when necessary.

The Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company is ready to handle more than just fires, as the nature of the town offers an array of scenarios which we must be prepared to content with. Simsbury may lack major routes of transportation and heavy industry, but it is not devoid of manufacturing or commercial businesses. Because of the associated hazards, the department created a HazMat Response Team with two-dozen members certified to the Technician level, and certified the majority of the remaining members to the Operational level.

Although the Fire Company doesn't officially have a technical rescue team, it does have many members trained in several disciplines. The majority of members are trained in confined space rescue, with several members trained in trench rescue, cold-water and ice rescue, and high-angle rescue.

	Firefighter Chris Lilley ascends Talcott Mountain with a mock victim in a Stokes basket.

The Fire Company is very proud of its rope-handling skills, as we have had to rescue the wayward adventurer on more than one occasion. The trail on Talcott Mountain leading to the Hueblein Tower is popular with hikers and hang gliders. The Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company has put their high-angle rescue skills to work on many occasions because of misadventures on the ridge.

The Company's rope skills also come in handy on the Farmington River where it plunges through the Tariffville Gorge; a stretch of the river popular with kayakers and swimmers. We commonly assist the police dive teams in search, rescue and recovery incidents by rigging a tension line across the river with a system of haul lines and pulleys. By tethering their dive boat with this system, we can hold them in a stationary position anywhere in the turbulent river so they can have a stable platform from which to commence dive operations from.

Live fire training at the Weatogue drill grounds.

Training is the key to not only possessing these skills, but keeping them sharp for when they are most needed. Each year the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company holds on average, 48  Monday night drills, and several drills on other weeknights and on the weekends. In addition, members attend training courses locally at the Connecticut Fire Academy, and nationwide such as the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC), the National Fire Academy and the Center for Domestic Preparedness.

 The Fire Company also retrains and recertifies its members annually in accordance with several National Fire Protection Association, Occupational Health and Safety, and state guidelines. SCBA air masks are fit-tested, personal protective clothing is inspected, seminars regarding sexual harassment and universal precautions against bodily fluids are held, just to name a few.

	The 2005 Junior Firefighter Challenge Championship Team

Proud of our history and accomplishments in the past, complacency is not an option as the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company is always preparing for the future. Our Company has always been quick to adopt new concepts and technology such as the incident command system, fire-ground personnel accountability, rapid intervention teams and thermal imagers.

The Junior Firefighters Program was started in 1978 as a way of recruiting young adults and solidifying our ranks by generating interest in our vocation. Our Junior Firefighters Program was recognized with a 3rd place Junior Emergency Service Excellence Award given by Volunteer Fireman's Insurance Services, Inc. in 2002, and our Juniors have won the 2001 through 2005 state Junior Firefighter Challenges.

The current Executive Committee of the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company consist of Jay Dixon- President, Kellan Boudreau- Vice President, Jim Vangunten - Treasurer and Tim Zeilman - Secretary.
See photograph below.

Firefighter Tim Zeilman, Lt. Jim Vangunten, Lt. Jay Dixon and Firefighter Kellan Boudreau

Building on the lessons from yesterday, we continue to work towards the future, always striving to fulfill our mission statement:

"To minimize deaths, injuries, and property loss from fire, hazardous conditions, rescue situations, and other disasters, by providing excellent, state of the art, life and property preservation, emergency and educational services, while recognizing our people as our most important resource and the key to our success!"