Department History

December 17, 1947 - A group of forty-three men met in the Burlington Town Hall for the purpose of organizing a Volunteer Fire Department. Clarence Spielman, temporary Chief, opened the meeting. Norman Frence was elected temporary Secretary and Treasurer. Mr. Frence read the constitution and by-laws of the Wolcott Volunteer Fire Department to give us an idea of what kind of an organization this would be. After the reading, we had several discussions on all topics that proved very interesting. It was suggested and then made a motion by Clarence Spielman to have everyone who was really in back of such a Department sign the ledger. Thirty-five names were signed. A committee of four was elected by this group to draw up the constitution and by-laws, namely David Twining, William Reeve, Norman French and Andrew Vanderpoel. The constitution and by-laws were to be ready for acceptance at the next meeting. After an hour of discussion, the meeting was adjourned until January 14, 1948.

Over sixty years later, The BVFD provides Fire, Rescue and Emergency Medical Services in Western Hartford County. To this day, the BVFD remains a volunteer fire department. We have the same professional training that large city departments maintain along with innovative and industry leading equipment. We are available 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. We are your neighbors, committed to the community and willing to train in order to protect and serve the citizens of the Town of Burlington.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

The BVFD Ambulance is staffed 24 hours a day by an EMT-Paramedic. This unique commitment to care allows us to have an average response time under 10 minutes. In addition, we have a state-of-the-art dispatch center capable of giving emergency phone instructions before the ambulance arrives.

Fire Services

Primary fire protection is only one aspect of the BVFD. We participate in fire prevention programs, Hazardous Materials investigations, Carbon Monoxide metering, and most recently supporting the Farmington Valley Regional Fire Taskforce.

Mission Statement

The Burlington Volunteer Fire Department's mission is to continue to be a leading emergency services provider by:

• Meeting the needs of the community in emergency medical services, fire prevention, fire suppression and rescue.

• Utilizing and improving the dedication and skills of our members. Constantly improving all of our services and operations.

• Give top priority to fire fighter safety and environmental concerns.

• Encourage the professional and personal development of our members.

• Work as teams to take full advantage of our knowledge, skills and creativity.

• Communicate openly and honestly to our members and community to inspire trust and confidence.