It is with heavy hearts that the Ridgefield Volunteer Fire Department announces the passing of active member Brandon von Koschembahr,19, on November 27th, 2009 as a result of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident. 

Brandon, a 9 year resident and two year member of the department, was a 2008 graduate of Ridgefield High School.  He had received several awards for excellence in the field of computers. He had been cited in 2007 on a 60 Minutes TV segment as an expert in getting computers to work. He was a Web design assistant at Sanvik Publishing in Danbury and was studying graphic design at Western Connecticut State University.

There will be no calling hours, and the burial will be private.  A celebration of life will be held in December and the details will be posted here. 

 Link to the Ridgefield Press Obituary;

http://www.acorn-online.com/joomla15/theridgefieldpress/news/obituaries/43081-brandon-von-koschembah-19-computer-expert-firefighter.html

It is with deep regreat that the Ridgefield Volunteer Fire Department announces the passing of Past Chief Richard McGlyn, the town’s first paid fire chief, Wednesday afternoon at his home.

Chief McGlynn was fated to be a fireman. He was born across the street from the firehouse and his grandfather had been a founder of the fire department in 1895. He began fighting fires as a high school student during World War II when many of the regular volunteers were in the service. In 1950, only a couple of years after Ridgefield created the position of paid fireman, Dick McGlynn joined the force of four. Still also a volunteer, he was elected chief of the volunteer department from 1964 to 1968.  In 1973, he became the paid department’s first chief, a post he held until his retirement in 1989. (In the early years, he was both the paid and volunteer chief at the same time.)  “He’s one of those rare individuals who gives everything of himself to the town,” said then First Selectman Sue Manning at his retirement banquet.

When he started with the paid department, it had four people, enough to have one person on duty around the clock, seven days a week. If a call came in, that man could roll the ambulance or a fire truck while volunteers were being summoned.  Much changed in Chief McGlynn’s years. There was one ambulance, one firehouse, and four fire trucks when he started. By the time he retired, there were 65 volunteers, 26 career firefighters, two ambulances, eight trucks, and two firehouses.

At Chief McGlynn’s retirement party in 1989, Police Chief Thomas Rotunda suggested that if the long-discussed new firehouse is ever built, it should be named the “McGlynn Firehouse.” After all, one McGlynn helped found and led the volunteers, and another led the development of the professionals.

The funeral was held Tuesday 10/13.  Click the headline for pictures of Chief McGlynn and the services. 

On Sunday, October 11, 2009 the Ridgefield Volunteer Fire Department (RVFD) held a tanker shuttle drill with the following Departments; Mill Plain and Miry Brook (Danbury, CT) West Redding, Stony Hill, Georgetown (CT) Croton Falls, South Salem, Vista (NY) along with Ridgefield Tankers 10 and 12,, Engine 3 and Truck 8.

The purpose of the drill was to set up a working water relay system in the event that a substantial mutual aid response was required for a working fire. At the discharge site just above the re-cycling center, three portable 3000 gallon ponds were set up with hard suction hoses to draft from them.

Once the set-up was complete, three tankers dropped nearly 9000 gallons of water which was pumped by Georgetown’s engine to Truck 8 which then began discharging water from one of its master streams and then finally two. The rate of discharge was nearly 1600 gallons per minute.  The fill site was the pond at Parks and Rec. on Route 35. Ridgefield E-3 was drafting from the pond and feeding the relay tankers.  A second fill site was established as the first site was not able to fill the tankers fast enough to keep the ponds full. 

A severe wind storm moved through the area on Wednesday October 7th.  Among the many calls, was this one to aid a very lucky motorist.  Another few feet and this would have been a much different call.

The men and women of the Ridgefield Volunteer Fire Department traveled to neighboring South Salem, NY for their annual parade and carnival.  The Department took home two trophies;  Best Overall Out-of-State and in it's final appearance, Car 3, the department's 2005 Dodge Ram took Best Chief's Car.  Take that Tahoes!!

Click the headline for more pictures!!

A train and car collided at the Branchville Station, trapping an elderly driver for about a half hour.The victim, who was talking with rescuers as he was being extricated from the crushed car, was taken to Danbury Hospital in the Georgetown ambulance with a Ridgefield medic on board. He was said to be in stable condition.Officials identified the driver as Seymour Seidman of Ridgefield, said to be in his 80s.The car was reportedly crossing the track at Portland Avenue, on the south side of the station, just before noon when it collided with the northbound train.The car was dragged 75 feet before the train stopped.It took firefighters nearly a half hour to remove Mr. Seidman from the car.Portland Avenue and West Branchville Road were closed, and the Danbury-Norwalk train line was shut down for a few hours.Ambulances from Ridgefield and Georgetown responded as well as police and other emergency personnel.

Photos: Kevin M. Doyle

Article: Ridgefield Press

RIDGEFIELD -- A three-car collision on Route 7 Tuesday left at least two of the vehicles battered and sent four people to the hospital.

Ridgefield police said the accident occurred near Pamby Motors on Route 7 at about 3 p.m. Tuesday. By Tuesday evening, police did not have a completed report on how the accident took place

The head-on collision forced emergency crews to rush to the scene. They had to use extraction equipment -- the "Jaws of Life'' -- on two of the vehicles to open them up and rescue the people trapped inside.

Police said four people were taken to Danbury Hospital after the accident. By late Tuesday evening, police did not have the names of the people injured in the accident, or their medical status at the hospital.

Photos: Kevin M. Doyle

Story: Danbury News-Times

The RVFD responded to the Town of Weston on a mutual aid assignment involving multiple structures and a brush fire.  What follows is excerpts from the incident report;

A single family dwelling of approximately 7500 sq ft under construction on a hill was accidentally set on fire by a worker burning rubbish at approx 1120 hrs. The first arriving engine from Weston was on scene at approximately 1122 hrs was hampered by a driveway under construction and a deep ditch at the foot of the driveway.  They made their way with a second engine right behind laying a 500 ft 5" line. A water supply engine from Weston laid approx 4000 ft to water while a Weston tanker fed the driveway lay from the street--relay was done in approx 8 min with water flowing.  A Mutual Aid Engine and Tanker from Wilton was diverted from the scene to a street south of this fire--These companies attempt to stop the fire which was being fanned by 40 MPH wind. They found a deck and back of a house well involved approx 800 feet from the fire building.  Mutual aid was then requested from Georgetown, Redding, West Redding Westport, Easton and Ridgefield (Tanker 12, Rescue 7, and Car 3, assigned to Task Force 1).  A Mutual aid call for brush trucks was done with 5 responding from as far away as Shelton.  Additional equipment was requested and staged at Weston Fire Headquarters where 3 Task forces were established
Task force 1---2 Engine Tanks, 1-3000 gallon tanker, 1 heavy rescue and 2 brush units - This was dispatched to the head of the fire within 5 mins.
Task Force 2--1 Engine tank- 2 brush trucks--engine was dispatched as a single unit to a car roll over and operated for 1 hour
Task Force 3 --2 Brush units one with a 600 gallon tank---this was held in reserve
State police provided Air 5 (fixed wing aircraft ) to provide observation.  Fire was brought under control at about 1420 hrs, 3 minor injuries
Approximately 12,000 ft of hose was laid with 6000 ft still at the fire ground and in the woods
Resources used        2 LDH Hose Wagons, 5 Engine Tanks, 3 Type 1 Engines, 1 Type 2 Engine, 6 Type 4 Brush trucks, 4 Tankers(2500-3000 galls), 1 Light Rescue, 1 Heavy Rescue
Burn area approx 16 acres  in and extremely rough heavily wooded area--Note this fire made a 600 ft run in less than 3 mins.
The worker was arrested at the scene for reckless burning.
 

RIDGEFIELD - A fire that badly damaged a house on Pumping Station Road early Monday morning is under investigation by local and state Fire Marshal's offices, in conjunction with the Ridgefield Police Department.  A neighbor called 911 at 12:26 a.m., when he saw that the house at 38 Pumping Station Road was on fire.  The Colonial style house built in 1984 sustained heavy fire damage to about 40 percent and smoke damage to the entire structure. The fire is considered suspicious. When firefighters arrived, about one quarter of the house was engulfed and the room above the three-car garage was fully involved, to the extent that the roof had sustained so much damage that it was already collapsing, No one was inside the burning structure. The four bedroom house with two fireplaces and a pool was for sale. The house and three acres of property were last assessed at $841,910 - down from the July 14, 2000 purchase price of $872,500, according to the town assessor's office. Eight engines, tankers and rescue trucks responded to the scene from Ridgefield, as well as mutual aid from Wilton, Georgetown South Salem and Vista. It was reported Monday that there were actually multiple fires in the home. It took 35 firefighters about 45 minutes to put out the majority of the fire and about two hours for it to be completely under control. This is the seventh large dollar loss or fatal fire in Ridgefield within the last six months.

The state's office of the fire marshal investigates fires that are either fatal, large dollar losses or suspicious. This fire falls under the last two categories.

Story courtesy of the Danbury News-Times, photos by Kevin M. Doyle

Loren Caddell of Fredericksburg, Va., a former chief of the Ridgefield Volunteer Fire Department, died  Saturday, Feb. 21,  at his home. He was 82 years old.

Mr. Caddell was born in Brooklyn, New York to Mabel and Captain Loren Caddell, USMM on July 23, 1926. He graduated high school in 1943 and enlisted in the Navy where he served on the USS Somers during the invasion of Normandy and throughout the war.

He later continued his service during the Korean War and Vietnam before retiring in 1962 as a chief bosun’s mate after 20 years.

After his military career he had a long career as a security consultant for the Perkin-Elmer Corporation of Danbury. He was the long time chief of the Ridgefield Volunteer Fire Department.  He was very active in the Rappahannock Historical Train Association.

In 1975, a 43-pound house cat named Spice, belonging to Mr. Caddell and his wife, Elsa, made the Guinness Book of Records.  

Mr. Caddell is survived by his nephew, John Frasca of Falls Church, Va.  Elsa Caddell died in 2004.

The Rev. Deborah McNeill will lead a memorial service   Wednesday, March 4,  at 10 a.m. at Eastland Methodist Church in Fredericksburg.

Online condolences may be expressed to Loren’s family at www.foundandsons.com

Updated: 01/13/2009 06:46:46 AM EST

RIDGEFIELD -- All that stood of the 6,700-square-foot home of John and Lorraine Brice at 3 Turtle Ridge Court on Monday afternoon were two brick chimneys. "I don't know what happened," he said, choking back tears.

Ridgefield Fire Department received a 911 call from a neighbor of the Brices at 10:46 a.m. Monday, on the heels of an automatic fire alarm call.

The Brices and their three teenage children were at work or school when the blaze broke out. It is assumed the family's two pet dogs died in the fire.

Ridgefield fire personnel and volunteer firefighters responded, assisted by the Georgetown fire department and Mill Plain and Miry Brook in Danbury, as well as the New York towns of Brewster, Croton Falls, South Salem and Goldens Bridge. In all 55 firefighters responded, and it took about 90 minutes to knock the fire down.

On arriving, Chief tim Pambianchi found three-fourths of the house engulfed in flames.  Attempts were made to do a quick preliminary check for people in the structure, but there was too much fire and it proved impossible.

With no fire hydrants in the development, which is off of Canterbury Road, nine tankers were called in, and 8,000 feet of fire hose was laid down the 1.4 miles from the intersection of Canterbury and Ridgebury roads to Turtle Ridge Court.

At 1 p.m., the state fire marshal and the Ridgefield fire marshal were on the scene. They were about to begin their investigation while firefighters atop an aerial-truck ladder sprayed water onto the smoldering remains of the house. Smoke billowed in high, dark, thick plumes raised by the wind.

The home, built in 1998, was equipped with working smoke detectors and a monitored fire alarm system.

Links to Photos: http://newstimescommunity.com/soundslides/0112ridgefieldfire/

http://www.acorn-online.com/joomla15/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=770

Story courtesy of the Danbury News-Times

At the annual meeting of the Ridgefield Volunteer Fire Department officers for the 2008 year were elected. They are as follows;

Chief - Tim Pambianchi

Assistant Chief - Mike Gabbianelli

Captains - Ed Scala and Andy Pambianchi

Lieutenant - Bill von Zehle

President - Joe Barrett

Vice President - Phil Baumann

Treasurer - Ron Gutstein

Financial Secretary - Jerry Benziger

Recording Secretary - Bill von Zehle

Steward - Tim Sullivan

Fire Police Captain - Walt Wieland

Fire Police Lieutenants - Ben Myers and Jim Belote

RIDGEFIELD -- An elderly man died when fire gutted his home Sunday afternoon.

Officials weren't releasing the name of the victim Sunday night, but public records indicate the house at 13 Hawthorne Hill Road is owned by longtime Ridgefield resident Edward Plaut.

Scores of firefighters from several departments battled the blaze until early evening, and twice, Ridgefield firefighters tried to force their way into the burning structure to search for the homeowner, the sole occupant.

Their efforts were hampered by gusting winds and a "tremendous amount of clutter" that made it difficult for the would-be rescuers to move through the smoke-filled interior.

The homeowner called 911 shortly before 2 p.m. to report a fire in the kitchen.

The dispatcher told him to get out of the house, heard coughing, and then the line went dead.

Five firefighters, three from the Ridgefield career department, a volunteer from Ridgefield and a volunteer from Georgetown, were taken to Danbury Hospital for treatment. The volunteers and one career firefighter were treated and released, the other two were expected to be held overnight.

The fire spread upward from the first-floor kitchen, then moved into the attic above the second floor of the home, which is located at the end of a long, private driveway off Hawthorne Hill Road, a short distance from Ridgebury Road.

There are no hydrants in the district and a tanker shuttle was initiated using tankers and engines from numerous area departments, including Croton Falls and South Salem from New York, as well as Georgetown, Mill Plain (Danbury), Miry Brook (Danbury), Danbury Engine 26 from Connecticut.  Ambulances were used from the City of Danbury, Georgetown EMS, and Stony Hill EMS. 

Cause of the fire is under investigation by the local and state fire marshals.

Plaut was a political writer who co-authored a book on the race for the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination between then-Mass. Sen. John F. Kennedy and Sen. Stuart Symington of Missouri. The book, "Front Runner, Dark Horse," which he wrote with Ralph G. Martin, was published in 1960.

Plaut also worked on oral histories with former members of the Kennedy Administration for the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library in Boston, according to organization's Web site.

A few neighbors braved the freezing temperatures to watch the fire, and expressed concern for the Plaut's safety.

"He's a great guy and a very interesting man," said neighbor Joe Corley. "I hope he's all right."

Corley said the interior of the home was "filled with papers" that Plaut used in his writing and research.

Firefighters made their initial entry through the front door, but were unable to locate the homeowner.

After an hour of fruitlessly trying to suppress the flames from inside the house, the chief directed all the firefighters to evacuate the building, and they poured water on the fire from outside.

The homeowner's body was found in a second-floor bedroom about 6:25 p.m. A police department spokesman said the victim's name would be released after a positive identification is made.

Article courtesy of The Danbury News-Times

Photo 1 courtesy of Kevin M. Doyle

Photo 2 courtesy of the News-Times

A Ridgefield man was arrested Tuesday morning in connection with three recent cases of arson in town, a burglary and for smashing windows of two businesses.

Ridgefield police investigation led to the arrest Christopher Garill, 42, of 20 West Lane.

He is charged with starting the fire that engulfed and destroyed Hot Shoes Dance Studio and offices at 424R Main Street on Oct. 11.

Mr. Garill is also charged with arson in connection to the fire at Attorney Patrick Crehan’s office at 181 Main Street in September and a Nov. 9 fire in a garage behind the bicycle shop at 22 Catoonah St.

Both Main Street arson charges include a charge of reckless endangerment. He is also charged with burglary at 181 Main St and the garage on Catoonah Street.

Mr. Garill faces a criminal mischief and burglary charge for allegedly smashing a window and entering Everywoman’s Spirit on Danbury Road Nov. 12. He faces a second criminal mischief charge for smashing the front window at Bailey’s Backyard on Bailey Avenue with a rock on Nov. 2.

“The detectives were just determined to solve these crimes and they interviewed and re-interviewed the victims and witnesses,” Capt. Stephen Brown said. “The patrol division also went out of their way to prevent further incidents.”

Capt. Brown said Mr. Garill was spotted at the scene of some of the incidents and witnesses and other evidence helped police crack the case.

The Ridgefield Fire Department and Connecticut State Police Fire Marshal also assisted in the investigation.

Other small arson fires have been reported in the last few months and not connected to Mr. Garill, including the burning of cornstalks outside of Bailey’s Backyard.

“We’re not done with this case,” Capt. Brown said. “We’re going to continue to investigate and follow-up.”

Police believe that Mr. Garill acted alone in all the incidents.

Mr. Garill was in custody at the Danbury courthouse Tuesday on $100,000 bail. He is being arraigned today.

He appeared in the Press police log on Nov. 26 for a DUI arrest. The arrest was unrelated to this investigation, police said. var obj = SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Ridgefield man charged with three fires, window smashing", url: "http://www.acorn-online.com/joomla15/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14960:ridgefield-man-charged-with-three-fires-window-smashing&catid=46:rfd-local&Itemid=25", description: "", content: "A Ridgefield man was arrested Tuesday morning in connection with three recent cases of arson in town, a burglary and for smashing windows of two businesses.Ridgefield police investigation led to the arrest Christopher Garill, 42, of 20 West Lane. He is charged with starting the fire that engulfed and destroyed Hot Shoes Dance Studio and offices at 424R Main Street on Oct. 11. Mr. Garill is also charged with arson in connection to the fire at Attorney Patrick Crehan’s office at 181 Main Street in September and a Nov. 9 fire in a garage behind the bicycle shop at 22 Catoonah St.Both Main Street arson charges include a charge of reckless endangerment. He is also charged with burglary at 181 Main St and the garage on Catoonah Street.", updated: "2008-12-02 18:30:17" }, {button: true});

Article courtesy of the Ridgefield Press