After the death of one of her firefighters who fought against the Hawthorne fire at the Mountain lament in Berlin last autumn, the volunteer fire brigade of Wethersfield was quoted for serious security injuries, the officials said.
Firefighter Robert “Sharkey” Shellevich Sr. died on October 22, 2024, when the Utility -Task vehicle he drove over the run and threw him out of the vehicle. Three additional firefighters suffered minor injuries and were treated without hospitalization.
According to a report by the professional and health administration, the department has committed several security violations, and on January 27, a quote of 640 US dollars was issued to the city of Wethersfield. In the report, the violations were listed as “serious”.
The report showed that seat belts and headgear were not worn during the accident, the UTV had too much weight and that the firefighters who operated the UTV had no appropriate training. It was also found that the UTV worked on uneven terrain, the report says.
According to officials, the brush fire, one of the largest in the state in decades, burned more than 100 acres. Several municipal fire brigades, state authorities and the National Guard of Connecticut were involved in the fighting against fire.
The report states that the department has taken correction measures since then, which has made several changes to its standard operating process, including additional training with UTVS. The department also bought certified helmets for UTV operations.
A document submitted by the Wethersfield fire brigade to the Labor Department of Labor describes several new rules that will comply with the department for ensuring OSHA compliance. These new rules do not include more than two people and a patient can drive in/on a UTV at a certain point in time, and the operators and passengers now have to wear seat belts and helmets. In addition, UTV operators must have received appropriate security and training, including a security lecture, a handling and maneuvering course as well as an obstacle course. The new rules began on March 1, according to the Ministry of Labor.
The Connecticut Fire Academy has been offering UTV training since last September last September, according to Director of Training PJ Norwood.
“I ironically started the course a month before the tragic death of the Wethersfield Firefighter, but we saw this training at the academy for firefighters and law enforcement authorities,” said Norwood. “Since its foundation, we have delivered 17 classes and certified a little more than 208 firefighters. We have also trained 51 trainers how to teach the operation of a UTV.”
UTVS has become an essential part of the fire brigade, said Norwood. They are most frequently used in brush fires because regular fire trucks do not reach into the forest or brush. UTVs are designed in such a way that they manage different types of terrain and wearing devices, equipment and patients. The UTV training of the Connecticut Fire Academy includes a full-day classroom and a driving course in which firefighters learn about personal protective equipment and driving on various types of terrain, he said.
Stephen Underwood can be reached at Sunderwood@courant.com.