The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Members mark achievements at banquet
HADDAM — Members of the Haddam Volunteer Fire Co. marked a year full of professional achievements during the annual appreciation banquet Feb. 2 at the Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station.
Chief Sam Baber emceed the event, which included a social hour with hors d’oeuvres, dinner, awards, recognition speeches, raffle prizes and a photo slide show, according to a press release.
The banquet ended abruptly at 9:05 p.m., when many firefighters responded to the scene of a motor vehicle accident, officials said.
In 2018, three members completed firefighter I; four completed firefighter II; four finished EMR or EMT training, and one junior completed Introductory to the Fire Service course at the Connecticut Fire Academy.
In 2018, Haddam Volunteer Fire Company responded to 581 calls for emergency services, including 11 fires, 331 medicals, 72 motor vehicle accidents, 48 alarms, 30 electrical hazards, 11 Hazmat situations, seven marine issues, 11 “good intent” calls and 48 other incidents.
These were 106 more calls than the prior year.
Haddam received mutual aid on 24 of those calls and provided mutual aid 32 times. Members volunteered more than 2,500 hours of service, as well as countless hours of training, according to officials.
Firefighter Mike Miller received the Firefighter of the Year Award for going above and beyond in 2018. Miller, 62, recently joined the company and completed Firefighter I and Firefighter II training. He serves on multiple committees and was praised for his positive and go-getter attitude.
Lt. Tony Lafo received the Chief’s Award for “wearing many hats” in the company. Lafo serves on the department’s Board of Directors, leads the company’s fit testing project, spearheads the Membership Committee, and serves as the company’s record administrator. Lafo also was a 2018 top responder.
Captain Ed Adametz, Ej Adametz, Joe Tomasso and Greg Duval received Star Awards for establishing and implementing the company’s new Field Training Officer program.
The 2018 top responders were honored with a certificate: EJ Adametz with 239 calls; Capt. Richard Zanelli with 220 calls; Lafo with 189 calls; Capt. Peter Brown with 187 calls; and Ronald Annino with 175 calls.
In addition, the following members received years of service pins issued in 2018: Olivia Drake, 5 years; Mike Mancuso, 5 years; Dan Sullivan, 10 years; Zack Tiezzi, 10 years; Jeff Doskos, 15 years; Franklin Pierce, 20 years; and Scott Larson, 30 years.
The 2018 officers include Sam Baber, chief; Zack Tiezzi, deputy chief; Dan Sullivan, assistant chief; Richard Zanelli, Peter Brown and Ed Adametz, captains; Scott Kuchyt, Franklin Pierce and Tony Lafo, lieutenants; Malcom Meyers, Greg Duval and Scott Larson, engineers; Ej Adametz, quartermaster; Michelle Kowal, treasurer; and Mary Adametz, secretary.
“It’s been an extremely busy year, and I am thankful for our incredible volunteers who put their own lives on the line, and sacrifice their own personal time to help others in the community. We’re also grateful for our outstanding mutual aid partners. Thanks to everyone for making this a successful year,” Baber said in the news release.