Plainfield Fire Co. #1 Brings Annual Firefighter’s Field Day Muster Back to the Quiet Corner
Plainfield Conn. - The first Firefighter's Field Day Muster in over 10 years was hosted on Saturday, July 29th, drawing in firefighters from across Eastern Connecticut.
9 Departments, making up 8 teams, faced off in events putting their firefighting skills to the test. The events included the bucket brigade, 2” wet hose lay, obstacle course, and keg battle. These events test skills such as hose handling, stamina, and communication which are all critical in firefighting scenarios.
Firefighter's Musters have been a piece of firefighting history for decades. These events allow departments to battle it out in a stress-free, family-friendly environment building both department cohesion as well as cohesion between departments. While some of the departments present collaborate in regular mutual aid agreements, several of them rarely get the opportunity to interact with each other due to location.
Musters also provide a great way for firefighters, both young and aged, to build comradery. From new cadets to firefighters with decades of experience, everyone had a place in the events.
Justin Deloge, Deputy Chief of Plainfield Fire Co # 1, told Quiet Corner Alerts, there haven’t been any events like this since the last time it was held was in approximately 2011. Many members of the local departments have never had a chance to experience a muster and it felt like it was a good time to bring it back.
The organizers of the event wanted to cut back on the overhead planning and logistics that had previously gone into these events, choosing to keep the burden lower for the members of the host department, allowing them to enjoy the day alongside the participants. In previous years local businesses had been asked to sponsor additional trophies for second and third place but this year a single, first-place, trophy was a more reasonable choice, both to keep the burden of logistics down and to respect the financial state of local businesses.
Deputy Chief Deloge went on to say, everyone who showed up proved it was a great time to bring the muster back. While the event was organized and hosted by Plainfield Fire Co #1, the Taftville Fire Department provided some of their equipment, and the Moosup Fire Department staffed asTanker to assist in providing water for the event.
While it was a close fight, the Central Village Fire Department secured the trophy for the 2023 Plainfield Fireman’s Muster.
Departments that participated included the Central Village Fire Company, Taftville Fire Company, Griswold Volunteer Fire Department, Atwood Hose Fire Company, South Killingly Fire Department, Danielson Fire Department, Jewett City Fire Department, Oneco Fire Department, Moosup Fire Department, and the hosts Plainfield Fire Co. #1
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