Storm members, with Mayor Joe DiMartino, VCF CEO Sharon Closius and VCF Program Director Valerie Knight-DiGangi.
DERBY — Members of the Derby Storm Ambulance & Rescue Corps officially thanked The Valley Community Foundation (VCF) on Wednesday for awarding a grant the Storms used to buy a new set of life-saving tools.
The money from the VCF’s “responsive grantmaking program” totaled $60,000 to purchase two Hurst power tools, also known as the “jaws of life.”
“We just wanted to thank and recognize the foundation for what they have done,” Storms Chief Thomas Lenart Sr. said during a brief ceremony inside the Storms headquarters on Elizabeth Street.
Derby Mayor Joseph DiMartino checks out the new tools.
The Hurst tools — a cutter and a spreader — help to free victims trapped in auto accidents.
The tools invented and manufactured by Hurst first came on the scene nationally in the 1960s. Derby received the then-cutting edge tech in 1973. The cost then was $3,825.
Lenart shared a 1973 Evening Sentinel article showing Derby’s first jaws of life were used a week after they arrived to free a man from a head-on collision wreck on Wakelee Avenue in Ansonia.
The article notes the victim would have probably died if it wasn’t for the fact the new Hurst tools were available to cut him out so quickly.
The new Hurst tools are lighter and battery-operated and start with a simple push of a button — huge advantages over the old tools, which had to be tethered to the corps’ rescue truck.
The older models were also loud, especially compared to the latest model. The roar of the Hurst tools could make communication with people trapped tough, and add to the trapped person’s anxiety.
The new model is much more quiet, Lenart said.
The chief pointed out Hurst tools aren’t used exclusively for auto wrecks. They’ve been used in collapsed buildings, too.
The Storms’ old pair of Hurst tools will remain in use as back-ups.
Derby, between Route 34 and Route 8, sees lots of car wrecks. Lenart said multi-vehicle wrecks have been on the rise in Derby lately.
The jaws of life were used at this recent crash in Derby.
“These are definitely going to be saving lives, and there’s no price on that,” said Sharon Closius, VCF president and CEO.
VCF Program Director Valerie Knight-DiGangi commended Lenart for filling out an application for the grant that clearly explained the need for the new tools. The tools will likely be put to use outside of Derby, as the local first responders all have mutual aid protocols.
Derby Mayor Joseph DiMartino thanked the VCF for the grant, and credited Lenart for a lifetime of volunteering with the Storms.
“Your knowledge is just unbelievable, so thank you,” Mayor DiMartino said.
Click here to learn more about the VCF responsive grant program.
The Storms is an independent nonprofit, with about 63 volunteers and a small contracted staff through North East Fire-Rescue.
On Dec. 17 the Storm Engine Company and Storm Ambulance & Rescue Corps held its annual Christmas brunch, according to a post on Facebook. “The brunch is a way to thank the volunteers for their hard work in responding to ambulance calls, fires, hazardous material incidents, and performing rescues,” the post read.
Derby Fire Commissioner Gary Parker, Alderman Ron Sill and former Alderman Gino DiGiovanni Jr. were honored for their efforts to secure a new ambulance for the Storms.
The Storms also recognized the Fusco family, who recently lost Sal Fusco.
“He battled a long illness, and many of our members got to know him. The donations made in his memory were used to replace our high-angle rescue harnesses,” according to the post.
The organization also recognized Derby Fire Police Captain James McGuire, who recently lost his wife, Marietta.
“Marietta was a long-time City Hall employee, and the funds donated in her memory will soon be designated to a project,” according to the post.
Here is a list of officers at the Storms:
Storm Ambulance Corps
Chief: Thomas Lenart Sr
1st Asst Chief: Brendan Canty
2nd Asst Chief: Alex Neuendorf
Treasurer Dan Abrams
Secretary Brienne Lenart
Storm Engine Company
Captain: Jared Heon
1st Lieutenant: Matt Casini
2nd Lieutenant: Javonte Ramos
Secretary: Joe Ferrigno
Treasurer: Paul DeGennaro
