3 Questions for Fire Chief William Seward: May 2013

North Branford Patch: What's new at the North Branford Fire Department?
Fire Chief William Seward: 
North Branford Fire Department Company #3 (aka Northford Acres) recently held elections for Company Officers. The slate of Fire Officers for the next year are: Captain Gene Stabile, 1st Lieutenant Steve Torino, 2nd Lieutenant Henry Rak, 1st Foreman Corey Roberts and 2nd Foreman Andrew Sherwood. Each year companies hold elections for their leadership positions. Those advancing into these positions must meet the minimum qualifications to act as fire officers and are responsible for the immediate supervision and training of personnel under their command.  

North Branford Patch: What is something that residents need to know?
Seward: Recently, a fire occurred in a vacant building on Foxon Road. The structure had no utilities, was vacant for some time and had been utilized by North Branford Fire and the regional SWAT team for training. The building is owned by Tilcon and was scheduled to be destroyed in the next few weeks.  Ruling out obvious sources of ignition, the fire appears suspicious in nature.  Arson is a serious crime and results in dangerous conditions for emergency response personnel. It is also one of the most difficult crimes to prove. While all fires present risks to firefighters, those caused by arsonists often present a higher risk as flammable substances can be used to increase the spread and speed of fire. The cause of fires are categorized as accidental, intentional or undetermined. Hence, As stated by the Department of Homeland Security, if you see something, say something; information concerning this fire should be turned over to the Fire Marshal's Office by calling 203-484-6016.
 
North Branford Patch: Are you a baseball fan? If so, what team do you root for?
Seward: If I was a baseball fan I would have to say, Boston Red Sox. 

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