On Sunday, April 23rd from 1:00pm to 4:00pm, the Town of Southbury will hold a Public Safety Day at the Center Firehouse at 461 Main Street South, in the heart of Southbury. This event will be fun for the whole family, offering food, demonstrations and education.
This indoor/outdoor event features the rare opportunity for residents in town and the region to meet and interact with Southbury’s First Responders. Come meet your public safety professionals, which may include Southbury Police, Southbury Ambulance, Heritage Village Ambulance, Southbury Animal Control, Southbury Fire Marshal’s Office, Southbury Emergency Management, and Southbury Volunteer Firemen’s Association. They will be providing tours of their vehicles, sharing public safety information, and giving demonstrations.
A dozen emergency vehicles will be on public display including ambulances, police cruisers, 102’ ladder truck, heavy rescue, engines, tankers, brush truck, gator, 1936 REO Engine 3, and more. Inside the Firehouse you can visit various “Stations”, including a simulated “smoke room” to better understand what an actual smoke environment might look like in an emergency. Citizens can safely “see” that a fire is dark and not light (due to the thick smoke that frequently occurs in a non-ventilated fire environment blocking the fire and the natural light) plus see a thermal imaging camera.
“We are looking forward to a large community participation for our Public Safety Open House,” explained Southbury Volunteer Firemen’s Association, Inc. Public Education Committee chair Brian Jones. “The men and women of the Southbury Emergency Services – police, fire, and EMS - protect the community 24/7/365 and we hope the community comes to meet their first responders, experience the demonstrations, take pictures, and learn how to protect themselves and their loved ones,” stated Mr. Jones.
There will be recognition and awards presentation at 2pm followed by a tanker shuttle/rural water supply demonstration to show how water is delivered to areas in town without fire hydrants. A simulation of a car extrication by Fire and EMS personnel will occur at 3pm.
The Public Safety Open House will include a “Safety Run Sheet” with 8+ stations where guests of all ages will move from station to station to meet their local first responders and learn life safety skills. Stations will have hands-on activities including a “stop, drop, cover and roll” and “crawl low under the smoke” practice area as well as the opportunity to shoot the Brush Truck fire hose at targets.
The programs are all free and open to the public. Ample parking will be provided at the adjacent town hall parking lot and behind the firehouse. Please see the fire department’s popular website at www.southburyfire.com for additional department information including recent fire, apparatus, and scene photos.
Incorporating history, visitors will learn the history of the Town’s first responder organizations and their evolving roles over the years, including Southbury Volunteer Fireman’s Association, celebrating 91 years of service; Ladies Auxiliary, 66 years of service; The Junior Corp., 45 years of service; and Southbury Ambulance Association, celebrating 60 years of service and the Southbury Police Department 49 years of service. Opportunities to serve the community in these departments will be available at the event.
Kraftwich Food Truck will be on site. If inclement weather, the event will be all held indoors. For more details visit www.southbury-ct.org/350-news/?FeedID=8337.
Public Safety Day is being organized by the Southbury Volunteer Firemen’s Association, with the Ladies Auxiliary and Junior Corp. and this year, partnered with the 350th Anniversary Steering Committee, as part of the Town’s year-long 350th anniversary celebration.
The Town of Southbury is holding events and activities all year long to celebrate 350 years of community, culture and history (1673-2023), aimed at highlighting the past and progress of the one and only Southbury.
The 350th Anniversary Steering Committee is John Dwyer and Kevin Bielmeier, co-chairs; Brian Jones, vice-chair; Justin Bette, Lynn Dwyer, Melinda Elliott, Michael Ganem, Kara Kenney, Mary Korsu, and Gosia Liedlich.
To learn more about the 350th Anniversary visit: https://www.southbury-ct.org/350.