Volunteer Firefighters Practice Using Their Best Tool –– Water

By Andrew Gorosko

MONROE –– With the precision of military maneuvers, firefighters rapidly jockeyed numerous fire tankers at Stevenson Lumber on Route 111 on the morning of Sunday, March 30, practicing their water supply skills for a major fire.

The Stevenson Volunteer Fire Company, which is directly across Route 111 from the massive Stevenson Lumber lumberyard, sponsored the training event for volunteer firefighters from Fairfield County and New Haven County.

Four of Newtown’s five volunteer fire companies have fire tanker trucks. The Sandy Hook, Botsford, Hawleyville, and Dodgingtown volunteer fire companies took part in the drill.

Because of the huge volume of lumber kept at Stevenson Lumber, the facility presents a major fire exposure for Monroe, according to Stevenson Fire Chief Dave York. So, the sprawling lumberyard is a logical place for such a water supply drill.

About 17 fire trucks were used in the drill, including the towering aerial platform trucks from Stepney and Bethel.

The fire tankers ferried water to the lumberyard from the Housatonic River at the Monroe boat ramp, just upriver of Stevenson Dam, and also from a fire hydrant located near Stevenson Fire Station No. 2 at 1260 Monroe Turnpike.

On arriving at the lumberyard with loads of water, the tankers poured their aqueous cargo into portable open tanks, from which the aerial platform trucks drafted the water and then sprayed it across the lumberyard.

 Such teamwork is intended to improve the level of cooperation and experience in fire mutual aid situations, according to Chief York.

The Salvation Army Canteen provided coffee and doughnuts to firefighters. The Stevenson Fire Auxiliary provided lunch for volunteers during a critique, which followed the water supply drill.