Columbia Volunteer FD to celebrate 75th

Connor Linskey, The Chronicle, Willimantic, Conn.
·1 min read

Sep. 24—COLUMBIA — The Columbia Volunteer Fire Department will celebrate its 75th anniversary with a fun-filled day on Saturday, October 1.

The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the department's firehouse.

There will be food trucks, games, a dunk tank, a disc jockey, a live band, tours of the firehouse, a beer/wine garden and more.

Those interested in attending the celebration should mark themselves as "going" or "interested" on the Columbia Volunteer Fire Department's 75th Anniversary Celebration event page on Facebook.

Those without a Facebook profile can alert the department of their plans to attend the celebration by calling the firehouse at 860-228-9602.

Columbia Deputy First Selectman Judy Ortiz said that the Columbia Volunteer Fire Department is well-respected in the community.

She recalled an incident several years ago when her neighbor's shed was on fire. Firefighters from the department responded to the scene within minutes. They were able to prevent the flames from spreading to the house.

" They couldn't save the shed, but they saved the house and nothing else got burned," Ortiz said. " I've always been impressed with the services that they provide."

Ortiz said that the department is looking for volunteers, as many of the volunteers are aging.

"Some of the people have been there a long time and they're older," she said. "They need younger people to be a part of the fire department."

Columbia Fire Chief Stephen Postemsky and Columbia Deputy Fire Chief Scott Haddad could not be reached for comment for this story.