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Meeting The Needs Of The Community: Bridport Firefighters Purchase New Equipment

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Tuesday April 14, 2009

By Cookie Steponaitis

    For the past sixty years, the Bridport Volunteer Fire Department has been working to protect the town and meet the demands for emergency service. With many families serving with second and even third generation members, the Firefighters take their roles very seriously.

    When the department realized that they needed to replace the utility vehicle that goes to Town line first response and goes out on at least 120 calls a year, they searched the Internet and networked with other fire departments to locate the right piece of used equipment. Bridport Fireman Cory Pratt remarked, “We located a 1997 utility vehicle in New York City that was actually used at the World Trade Center on 9/11. Six of our firemen went down to inspect it. We realized that we really needed it to perform our duties. We wanted to ease the tax burden for the town so the fire department borrowed the funds and purchased the vehicle. Our goal is to pay it back over a five year period”
In order to pay back the loan and to outfit the vehicle the Bridport Fire Department is launching a fundraising campaign that begins with a Benefit Dance on April 25th at American Legion Post # 27 in Middlebury, from 8pm until midnight. The cost is $ 8.00 per person and $ 15.00 a couple.  Proceeds will be applied to equipment purchase and paying of the loan. “For us, remarked Fireman Pratt, it is all about the community and meeting the needs of the town.”

    While most Vermonters take for granted the presence of volunteer fire departments, many do not pause to reflect on the statistics surrounding this type of volunteer work that so greatly benefits individual communities both large and small. Currently in the United States, 71% of all fire departments are volunteer fire departments. While some departments have a mixture of paid firefighters and volunteers, most depend on the time, commitment and professionalism of their volunteers. The USFA Fire Department statistics document that in 2007 there were 51,950 fire stations in America and that departments were responding to a fire every 20.0 seconds. Meeting the needs of the communities large and small all over America are the dedicated volunteers of fire departments. The staff of the voice salutes them!              

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