Fairfield Fire Union Leader Talks Recent Fires, Staffing, Vaccine

Via Fairfield Fire Fighters Association IAFF 1426:

This past week was a busy one for the members of Fairfield Fire Fighters IAFF Local 1426. We had two major fires in town and both of these fires ended with what we call “a great stop.” The thing about fires like these is that to the untrained eye, they look less than spectacular. The reason the fire does not destroy the building or end in the loss of life is because of an aggressive, quick, coordinated attack. In firefighting, the importance of manpower is critical. Although our staffing across all five stations does not meet national scientifically proven guidelines for the number of firefighters on a firetruck, thankfully we are still successful in getting the job done. This is solely the result of hard work from highly trained, motivated professionals.

In addition to responding to these residential structure fires, almost half of the fire department completed training to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. This training was organized after it was requested by the leadership of the union. Our members took it upon themselves to step up to be there for the residents of Fairfield. We hope the town takes advantage of this valuable resource, as our neighbors in Bridgeport and Westport have done.

As the Fairfield Fire Department mission statement says, we are here to “save lives and make a difference.” We look forward to continue doing just that this week, and in all the weeks following.

Bill Tuttle

Local 1426 President