News

Firefighters Put Out Attic Blaze on Ramhorne Road Late Friday

By |

New Canaan firefighters late Friday put out a blaze in the attic of a home in the northwestern part of town. The New Canaan Fire Department at about 9 p.m. on Dec. 5 reported to the structure fire on Ramhorne Road, according to a press release issued by Fire Chief Albe Bassett. Arriving firefighters found a fire burning in the attic and quickly knocked it down “to limit extension,” Bassett said in the release. “Firefighters removed the sheet rock on the ceiling and cut a couple of holes in the roof to completely extinguish the fire in the blown-in insulation,” he said.

News

Fire Chief: Lithium Ion Battery Sparks Blaze at New Canaan Home

By |

A lithium ion battery caused a fire Friday in a New Canaan home on the west side of town, officials say. The New Canaan Fire Department responded to a Woodridge Circle home with a garage filled with smoke late on the morning of Oct. 24, according to a press release issued by Fire Chief Albe Bassett. A person stopping by to check on pets in the home discovered the fire, Bassett said. “She properly closed the door separating the garage from the home and called 9-1-1 to report the event,” the chief said in the release.

Around Town

‘Let’s Never Forget the Ones We Lost’: Town Marks 9/11 at Ceremony

By |

Fire Chief Albe Bassett remembers waking up on Sept. 11, 2001. It “started out as a routine day,” Bassett recalled from the front steps of Town Hall on Thursday morning, addressing a crowd that gathered for the community’s annual 9/11 ceremony. “Not even taking a minute to enjoy the weather, which is probably the same as it is this morning,” Bassett said. “An hour or so later, the tragedy started and the events that we’ll never forget took place.”

New Canaan lost three residents on 9/11—Joe Coppo, Eamon McEneaney and Bradley Fetchet.

Albe Bassett

Firefighters Put Out Blaze on Country Club Road on Tuesday

By |

Firefighters after midnight Tuesday put out a structure fire on Country Club Road, officials say. At about 12:45 a.m. on June 10, the New Canaan Fire Department responded to the fire after a 9-1-1 call was placed by a Lambert Road resident who could see it from their house, according to a press release issued by Chief Albe Bassett. 

At the Country Club Road home, firefighters found a 10-by-30-foot shed about 1,000 down the driveway that was “fully involved,” Bassett said in the press release. No one was injured, he said. “There were no other exposures,” the chief said in the release. “The fire was brought under control in a few minutes with one hose line.

Albe Bassett

New Canaan Fire Department Introduces ‘Community Connect’ To Improve Resident Safety

By |

The New Canaan Fire Department has announced the launch of a new digital system called ‘Community Connect,’ which allows residents to save personal information that may be vital for first responders during an emergency. 

Community Connect is a website that allows residents to create personal accounts with information that could be needed in an emergency. Users can toggle between functions to personalize their experience to the information that is most important to them. 

“Residents can input gate codes, alarm codes, information about pets, and any special needs that would get displayed on our response tablets during an emergency,” Bassett said during the May 13 meeting of the Fire Commission, held at the firehouse on Main Street. 

First responders can use the information that residents add to the system, allowing them to better prepare for the emergency at hand. 

For example, New Canaanites can input the location of a “meeting place” where all members of a household may congregate to escape an emergency. “Another good aspect of the system is the ‘meeting place’ function which allows us to quickly make sure that everyone is accounted for and help coordinate where to deploy our first responders,” Bassett said. 

The system is also adaptable and can easily accommodate changes, he added. 

“The system does an annual reminder for residents to update their information on a regular basis,” Bassett said. “People move, which is a challenge we foresee, but annually updating the system will help us.”

Fire Commission Chair Jack Horner asked about implementing the system with Realtors in town so that it can accurately capture information from individuals who move. Basset replied that integrating the system in many areas throughout town, such as with Realtors and businesses is part of the roll-out plan. 

The system is password secured and only accessible by first responders, such that sensitive information such as codes for gates and alarms is protected, Bassett said. 

The new system is now available to New Canaan residents, officials said.