The effort to help 28 people get back on their feet after Monday’s fire on Howe Avenue is at the point where volunteers are almost ready to start moving a few residents into new apartments.
The Valley Indy stopped by Echo Hose Hook and Ladder Co. 1 at 379 Coram Ave. Thursday morning for a brief chat with firefighter Kevin Lantowsky, who is helping to coordinate the relief effort.
Lantowsky stood inside an office off a large meeting room on the building’s second floor that has been converted into a sorting area. There were hundreds of clothing items and food, all being sorted by about a dozen volunteers.
Lantowsky said the phone at Echo Hose has been ringing off the hook with inquiries from people wanting to make donations.
He urged anyone reading this to monitor the Echo Hose Facebook and Twitter pages and its website.
The links are also posted below.
It is a fluid situation, with needs and information constantly changing.
In fact, an hour or so after this article was first published, Echo Hose set up an online donation form they are asking people to fill out in order to make donating more efficient.
Please click this link to fill out the form.
As of 11 a.m. Thursday, Lantowsky said volunteers — with support from local organizations such as TEAM Inc., St. Vincent DePaul and Spooner House — are lining up apartments for the displaced residents. About 20 of the 28 people need to be placed, he said.
To that end, Lantowsky said the residents will be in need of furniture. Don’t bring your furniture to Coram Avenue just yet, but you can call Echo Hose at (203) 924‑4200 to tell them about what you have. The FD will be posting more information soon to begin connecting donated furniture to people and their new apartments.
“If they can start thinking about couches, lamps, mircowaves, household items, we would appreciate it,” Lantowsky said.
Again, don’t bring your bulky items to Echo Hose just yet, but tune into the Echo Hose Facebook page.
There are still many people looking for a new place to live. If you know of an apartment that is for rent or you own an apartment for rent, please call Echo Hose (203) 924‑4200.
All other donation inquiries or general questions should be made through Facebook, because the volunteers are getting overwhelmed.
Lantowsky said Echo Hose is still accepting donations of clothes along with non-perishable food and drink. Anything that doesn’t go to a Howe Avenue fire victim will be donated to agencies such as My Sister’s Place in Ansonia or St. Vincent DePaul in Derby.
Cash and checks can be donated to the Howe Avenue Relief Fund at any Webster Bank. Checks can be mailed to Echo Hose Hook and Ladder Company 1 P.O. Box 204. Shelton,CT 06484.
In addition, Lantowsky said a few of the people displaced by the fire were independent contractors whose tools were lost in the flames. Gift cards to Home Depot, Lowes, Sears and similar places would be helpful.
In addition to coordinating a relief effort, Shelton firefighters — volunteers, mind you — are still responding to calls, such as the gas leak called in Thursday morning in the basement of 500 Howe Ave., a stone’s throw from the site of Monday’s blaze and building collapse. Luckily, Yankee Gas was on the scene within minutes to deal with the issue.
Firefighters and police are also on Howe Avenue, which was scheduled to be closed Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. between Bridge and Center streets so demo crews could remove wreckage from the fire, which caused three floors to collapse Monday.
Echo Hose on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/echohosefire
Echo Hose on the web: http://echohosefd.com/
Echo Hose On Twitter: https://twitter.com/echohosehq
