By Kaitlin Keane
Journal Inquirer
NEW MILFORD, Conn. — Though fire companies are struggling statewide to retain new members, Ryan Delaney knows “volunteerism isn’t dead” in New Milford as the Water Witch Hose Company #2 continues to grow its membership.
“We’re bucking up the system where we have people that still want to volunteer,” said Delaney, the second lieutenant of the Water Witch Hose Company #2. “People want to be involved, they want to give back to their community... If you don’t have an influx of new people and (a) constant rotation of people coming in, you’re going to die out like we’ve seen departments around us.”
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Several departments have closed this year, including in North Haven, Meriden and the Torringford Volunteer Fire Department in Torrington.
The Water Witch Hose Company #2 has an active roster of 50 members as well as several veteran and retired members. The company has about 10 new recruits, including six probationary members, Delaney said.
New Milford fire officials credit their “recruitment rush” to people wanting to get involved in their community.
“The presence of other candidates and probationary members immediately gives new candidates a welcoming team experience,” Fire Chief Sean Delaney said. “Our officers have certainly rose to the occasion as well. By tailoring a portion of our training to very entry-level skills, these candidates have a chance to go hands-on immediately. The impact that we have now with them will reverberate into active years of service.”
Between the increase in emergency calls and the lack of available volunteers to cover the call volume, Ryan Delaney has observed the “volunteer crisis” happening regionally and statewide in the past few years.
State Comptroller Sean Scanlon, the grandson of a decorated firefighter, shared a study this year of the state’s volunteer departments and where they might be headed.
Scanlon’s report warns the number of fire departments is “expected to decrease as the state continues to struggle with volunteer recruitment and retention.” It highlights the profession’s long-term health risks and fewer health and pension benefits as possible deterrents for those looking to pursue a career in firefighting.
‘A big commitment’
Delaney said it is a commitment and they understand “how much we’re asking of our members.”
“It’s a very daunting thing to do — wake in the middle of the night, go to an emergency and return home — so we really try to make it a fun environment, a good environment, for all of our people to keep them engaged, keep them coming back,” he said, “Because if we were to just constantly push, push, push and work, work, work, you are going to burn people that way.”
Fire Chief Sean Delaney said walking through the front doors is “the biggest step anybody takes” to become a member.
“And now they see the door’s always open,” he said. “Anyone who wants to be a volunteer has a place here.”
While the fire company has some members who came from other departments, Ryan Delaney said volunteers can join with no experience.
“We’ll take anyone off the street, and we’ll train them in-house,” he said.
Ryan Delaney said the company focuses on building skills to be as “proficient as we can.” The state requires new recruits to complete the firefighter 1 class.
They also get hands-on experience early.
About 25% of the company’s call volume is answered by new recruits, Ryan Delaney said. Out of the 763 calls the company responded to last year, he said about 220 calls were answered by new members.
Ryan Delaney estimated it takes about two years for a volunteer to become a fully certified interior firefighter. That includes six months for volunteers to move through the candidacy and application processes; six months to vote them into the department; and their probationary year as members.
He recognizes this process doesn’t always align with members’ lives and schedules. In fact, he said only about 10% of Water Witch’s new recruits become long-term firefighters.
“It’s a big commitment to prove you’re actually willing to do the jobs,” Ryan Delaney said. “We want to have the right people before we get into making investments in gear or training, so that’s why we have such a rigorous application process and then a probationary period.”
Once they are voted into the company, volunteers get to sign “the Book,” which contains the signature of every Water Witch member since the company’s founding in 1863. Volunteers also receive their badge and start their probationary year.
“We’re looking for people that want to give back to the community in the same way as we do,” he said. “We’re not getting paid to do it — we’re here because we love to do it. I think our biggest goal is that we don’t want to see New Milford go to a paid department, so the more people we can bring in, the longer we can stay volunteer.”
‘Open doors, open arms’
Though the new probationary members come from different backgrounds, they shared a desire to join to give back to New Milford, where they live.
“I’ve always been interested in it,” said Hunter Goddard, an engineer for an Orange-based natural gas company. “I’ve always wanted to give back to the community and I love that they love their community... There’s no harm in coming around and seeing if this is something that you could see yourself doing.”
Pat Maguire admitted he had “no initial reach” for becoming a firefighter, though his father Patrick Maguire, previously served as a chief for the Water Witch Company and his sister Ashley Maguire is a member.
“I was curious about it,” he said.
Then one day he saw Sean Delaney who told him they’re always looking for new members. Maguire said he took that as his opportunity to drop by.
Mark Hanrahan said he was thinking about his next step after retiring from his engineering career with Honeywell, while Chris Freeman said the opportunity to join the fire company “just aligned perfectly.”
On top of serving their community, several members said they were drawn in by the camaraderie shared between firefighters, and the fire department at 8 Prospect Hill Road has become a second home.
“This place is my family,” Freeman said. “It’s open doors, open arms.”
Brooks Baldwin, a New Milford and federal firefighter who became a lieutenant for Water Witch in July, said it’s a “huge honor” to help members in the same way he was helped and teach them “to become the best firefighter and the best member of the community that they can be.”
“That’s one of the most unique things about the fire service,” Baldwin said. “You can have a member that’s been involved for 25 years and you have the opportunity to teach them something new because this field is ever-evolving.”
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