Category Archives: BHC News

Beacon Hose Announces Passing of Longtime Firefighter Tom O’Connell

Beacon Hose sadly announces the passing of longtime firefighter Tom O’Connell, who died Sept. 27 after a courageous battle with cancer.

Tom joined Beacon Hose as a firefighter in July 1995 after previously serving in the Oxford Center Fire Company. As a career truck driver, his driving expertise was second to none in the local fire service. Tom was also a skilled pumper who fought countless fires on Engine 2, which Beacon Hose acquired at around the same time that he joined. He pridefully drove Engine 2 through many parades, including the 2015 Connecticut State Firefighters Association Convention parade here in Beacon Falls.

For several decades, Tom was a staple at Beacon Hose events — especially behind the grill serving up sausage and peppers at our carnival. He was a good friend to many firefighters not just at Beacon Hose, but throughout the Valley, often representing our company at events.

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Beacon Hose Octoberfest Returns Oct. 14

UPDATE: Thanks for your support!

It’s not Oktoberfest — it’s Beacon Hose Octoberfest, and after a four-year absence, we’re happy to announce that the event is back this fall!

Join us at Beacon Hose on Saturday, Oct. 14, from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. for our third Octoberfest. Celebrate some of the year’s best weather with a day filled with good food, drinks, and family fun at our firehouse.

We’ll feature a bunch of the best food vendors in the state, including Not Just Blowin’ Smoke (barbecue), Los Mariachis (Mexican), Szabo’s Seafood (seafood), Pau Pau Pizza Cones (pizza-inspired cones), Meriano’s Cannoli Truck (cannoli), Lucky Dog Food Truck (hot dogs), Valley Nutrition (shakes), and Molly’s Bakery (pretzels, breads, and desserts).

Here’s what else we’ll have:

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Beacon Hose, Beacon Falls Police Partner with LINKED Autism Safety Project

Beacon Hose and the Beacon Falls Police Department have proudly partnered with LINKED – Autism Safety Project to help keep members of our community safe!

LINKED is a community partnership with local municipalities that was created to provide a linkage between first responders and members of the autism community to better support one another.

This program is designed to help first responders make pre-arrival plans and be better prepared for situations in which a person with autism needs help or could be present when someone else needs help.

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Carnival 2023 Wrap-Up and Raffle Winners

Just like that, another carnival in the books! Thanks to everyone who supported us at our biggest fundraiser, whether you visited over the past few days, came out for the parade (three dozen departments!), made a donation, bought raffle tickets, or simply wished us well. It was another great turnout at Beacon Falls’ biggest party.

We will soon have more carnival T-shirts for sale since they were such a hit that they sold out! Stay tuned to our social media for more information.

Here are the raffle winners! If you’re a winner, you can send us a message and we’ll give pickup information. Our office will also be making calls to the winners. Congratulations to the 25 winners!

RAFFLE WINNERS
1) $10,000: 0368, Susan Ventresca
2) $2,000: 1040, Michele D’Amico
3) $1,000: 2096, John Hicks
4) $1,000: 1835, Dana Robertson
5) $1,000: 1125, Ted Goodman
6) $100: 0720, Tina Mulinski
7) $100: 0781, Geraldine Rosato
8) $100: 0955, Chris Falcioni
9) $100: 1800, Monique Martinez
10) $100: 0725, Sabita Surujlall
11) $100: 2166, James Schede
12) $100: 1250, Mary Dean
13) $100: 0722, Deb Ramos
14) $100: 0617, Dave Rochford
15) $100: 2291, Sean Bruder
16) $100: 1581, Penny Musbek
17) $100: 1553, Jony Fernandez
18) $100: 1285, Jay Kuczenski
19) $100: 0181, Jason Avery
20) $100: 0551, Kate Mrozek
21) $100: 0479, Ed Babbins
22) $100: 1709, Stephanie Thibault
23) $100: 1276, John Smedes
24) $100: 1178, Liz Falzone
25) $100: 2409, Wayne Schlemmer

Beacon Hose to Host Summer EMT Course

Beacon Hose will host a summer EMT course that will be perfect for high school and college students on summer break — enrollment is open now!

The course will run from June 19 through August 30. Classes will be held at Beacon Hose on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings (6-10 p.m. nightly) and three Saturdays (8 a.m.-4 p.m.). One of the Saturday classes will include a vehicle extrication drill with the fire department. The course will be taught by experienced ALS and BLS instructors who remain extremely active in responding to calls in our area.

The course fee is $1,000, which includes books (with online access), a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope, CPR/AED certification, EVDT certification, and the required sex trafficking and mental health courses.

This class is open to any Connecticut resident, not just those from Beacon Falls. While membership at Beacon Hose is not required, the course could lead to an opportunity to join our department, too! Becoming an EMT not only gives you lifesaving skills to help others, but it can also lead to rewarding career opportunities.

If you’re interested in signing up or learning more about the course, send an email to emstraining@beaconhose.com and we’ll get you started! We accept credit cards and can also set up payment plans.

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