Members dedicated to keeping the town safe

By Jonathan Barbagallo

As we approach the end of 2018, the emergency services in town have had another busy year, at least by Norfolk standards. House and building fires, jackknifed tractor trailers, mutual aid responses to Brookfield, overdose resuscitations, cardiac arrests, and injured hikers are just some of the emergencies to which the Norfolk Lions Club Ambulance (NLCA) and Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department (NVFD) responded 2018.

Through the month of October, the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department responded to 158 calls for service, which is already the third highest number in the last 11 years and that doesn’t include call totals in November and December. The NVFD expects to receive a total of 200 calls for service by December 31. The department welcomed six new members to its ranks and logged a total of 5,282 staff hours responding to emergencies, weekly trainings, and community-based activities such as the Memorial Day Road Race, fundraising, and the Weekend in Norfolk festivities.

In his fiscal year-end report, Chief Matthew Ludwig wrote, “The membership of the NVFD continues to log many hours of training to meet annual state, federal, and OSHA requirements. We respond to emergencies, ensure our equipment is in good working condition, and support the community as we manage the many facets of our town’s volunteer fire department. As I’ve said in previous years and still to this day, there is always something happening down at the fire house.”

Chief Ludwig went on to acknowledge the support of the Explorer Program, currently in its 34th year of giving Norfolk teenagers, ages 14 through 18, the opportunity to learn more about the fire service. The member who started the Explorer Program, Richard Byrne, was recognized at the department’s annual dinner in August for his 50 years of service to the department. Thankfully he has no plans to slow down, as he is currently one of the NVFD’s most active drivers and pump operators, as well as a member of the Regional Rope Rescue Team.

According to Chief Ludwig, the NVFD is “looking for new members that can offer assistance in any capacity. Help is always needed, from firefighting to administrative functions; we encourage anyone with a desire to help our community’s emergency services to apply.”

Just as busy were the Norfolk Lions Club Ambulance and their membership of 30 Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT’s), Emergency Medical Responders (EMR’s), and drivers. Since the first of the year, the ambulance has been requested 228 times to respond to the needs of Norfolk citizens, visitors, and neighbors in North Canaan, Colebrook and Winsted. Because of the requirements set by the corps and the state of Connecticut, three volunteers must be at the ready to respond 24 hours a day, 365 days per year, even if they are not actively responding to calls. This translates into a whopping 26,280 hours when Norfolk EMS volunteers have been listening to their pagers, waiting for the next call. Thankfully they have added six new members to their ranks over the past year, which will help to share the burden of coverage.

Of note, a review of the year’s ambulance calls reveals that the members responded to four emergencies involving drug overdoses, showing that Norfolk is not immune to the opiate epidemic currently impacting all cities and towns throughout the country. All medically trained members have been approved to carry Narcan, which is a drug that helps to reverse the effects of an opiate overdose. While Norfolk’s ambulance crew had two successful Narcan resuscitations, two patients were sadly lost to the effects of opiate overdose. Ambulance Chief Kitty Hickcox expressed her thoughts by saying, “While we don’t want to respond to these types of calls, all citizens should be assured that our members are trained, ready, and have the tools to help. Because of our volunteers, along with the combined efforts of the fire department first responders and the State Police, we have a great EMS system in Norfolk.”

As we get closer to a new year, our town’s emergency services can continue to expect an increase in emergency calls as well as the increased cost in operating our services. Our goal of a safe Norfolk in 2019 will be accomplished due to the dedication of our volunteers as well as the support of the community. Please consider joining the ranks of the ambulance service and the fire department in the future.

Jonathan Barbagallo, EMT, serves as Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department’s public information officer and second assistant fire chief.