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Administration
Guided by Chief John B. Field Jr., the Torrington Fire Department will provide an ultimate public safety service, protecting life and property from the ravages of fire and other emergencies,such as motor vehicle accidents, hazardous materials releases, and problems related to severe weather. To do this effectively, the department has 3 components: Training/Safety, Investigation/Prevention, and Operations.
Training / Safety
Training Officer Lawrence W. Hepburn is charged with assuring all the department's personnel are ready and capable of dealing with whatever they might face in the course of their jobs. This encompasses not only operational activities (extinguishing fires and performing rescue maneuvers), but also the administrative and management functions necessary to assure the smooth operation of the organization. He also oversees the health and safety aspects of the department operations, assuring compliance with the federally mandated OSHA standards.
Training Officer Hepburn personally oversees all aspects of training, including implementing new programs, developing lesson plan outlines, and scheduling classes. He is also responsible for the care and maintenance of the training equipment and keeping the department's fire service library up to date. Much of the actual training is also provided by the Training Officer with occasional help from others who are certified as Fire Instructors by the State. Occasionally, outside experts are utilized for specialized training programs.
Fire Prevention and Fire Investigation Division
The Office of the Fire Marshal consists of Fire Marshal Timothy Tharau, Deputy Fire Marshal Francis Hine, and Deputy Fire Marshal Joseph Fioretti. The primary function of this office is to promote
fire prevention and investigate the cause of all fires. Fire prevention is accomplished by both public education and code enforcement. Fire investigation is accomplished by utilizing modern day resources to determine the origin and cause of all fires. State mandated duties include; investigating all fires for origin and cause and conducting fire safety inspections of all places of business, public assembly, apartment buildings, day care, and health care facilities. State mandates also include reviewing all proposed construction plans for life safety code compliance, Issuing blasting, and reporting the location of all hazardous materials. All personnel must complete 90 hours of refresher training every three years in order to maintain their certification. The Fire Marshal's office is also the headquarters for the Firehawk program and the Fire Prevention School Program.
Operations
The mainstay of the Fire Department is the day-to-day response to requests from the public for assistance. Deputy Chief Jaye Giampaolo is charged with overseeing the daily operations of the department. His duties include direction of operations during emergency incidents, purchase of fire fighting equipment, overseeing vehicle maintenance, and providing top quality turnout gear and sharp dress uniforms for all fire fighters.
The Fire Department is composed of four shifts, each shift encompassing 42 hours per week. Fire fighters work a 3-on/3-off schedule, rotating between day and night shifts. Each shift has a Captain serving as Shift Commander, assisted by 3 Lieutenants, who supervise nine fire fighters. Between alarms, all personnel train on the latest fire fighting and rescue techniques, check their equipment for readiness, and maintain the fire station and grounds.
NEVER HIDE FROM A FIREFIGHTER!
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