Aging fire department looking for new blood

HEBRON — Hebron's firefighters aren't getting any younger, said Fire Chief James Trundy at a board of selectmen's meeting on Monday.

Trundy has been Hebron's fire chief since 2002, and said this coming year may be his last.

"I told them I would do 10 years and my first year was 2002," said Trundy. He intentionally avoided saying that he was still committed to finishing in 2012.

Selectmen asked if Trundy had been grooming a successor, but the chief said that no one had expressed any specific interest in replacing him. Nonetheless, he doubted the position would ever stay unoccupied.

"I don't think there's any interest," said Trundy. "But if the position was vacant I think somebody would step up."

According to Trundy, a  more pressing concern for the department than who might one day replace him is that a dearth of new volunteers may end up leaving the department too old and understaffed.

Three firefighters left the department this year and no one has yet come forward to replace them. Of the three, one was trained and able to wear an airpack and enter a building if need be.

Younger recruits will be needed to fill that gap and others that arise as the town's current crop of firefighters age.

"It's one thing to turn on a pump, but it's a lot tougher to put on the gear and take down a wall," said Trundy.

"I'd like to pick up two to three more people. I've been the fire chief for nine years and we're all getting older," he said. "It's a young man's game."

While Trundy said that he has heard several residents express interest in volunteering, many are eventually dissuaded by the requisite training. He said that people often have a hard time making it to evening sessions due to time constraints.

He asked the selectmen to keep an eye out for new recruits who might be interested in becoming trained firefighters.

"If you hear of anyone who wants to join the fire department, tell them they can get in touch with me or the deputies and we can put them on the path to getting trained."

Trundy officially appointed Richard R. Deans, son of select board chairman Richard Deans, and Frank Walker as his two chief deputies.