Soon a brand new fire engine will be responding from the Eagle Hose Hook & Ladder Company No. 6 fire house located on Main Street. The new Engine 6 will replace the current Engine 6 that has served the residents and businesses of Ansonia since 1992.
As a resident of the City of Ansonia and having served the city for many years as a member of the Board of Aldermen, I have witnessed first-hand the dedication and sacrifice our volunteer members of the Ansonia Fire Department make day in and day out no matter when they are called into service.
But to accomplish this task requires providing our fire department with the proper equipment starting first and foremost by selecting the right fire truck. However, it does not happen overnight or without a devoted team behind it. Unlike a car which can be test driven and bought all in one day, the planning of a fire truck, such as the new Engine 6, takes years. It starts first with a truck committee whom after designing the truck that coordinates with a fire company’s particular needs, seeks the support from the Fire Commission, the Office of the Mayor, the Board of Appropriation and Taxation and finally the Board of Aldermen all coming together and agreeing on replacing an aging fire apparatus.
While the new Engine 6 will be placed into service in a few days, I would like to express my appreciation to all those in the last administration, from the tireless efforts of our Fire Commission, past members of the Board of Aldermen and Mayor James Della Volpe whom without him green-lighting the need to replace the aging Engine 6, there would be no new fire truck.
The writer is chairman of Ansonia’s Democratic Town Committee.
