Fire at Dexter in Windsor Locks

[LedZeppelin]

Anyone else listening? Seems like a couple of buildings were fully involved. Windsor Locks and East Windsor fighting it, along with Troop W BDL, Windsor, South Windsor on standby covering both towns. East Windsor FD seems to be coming in on 460.275.

 

[LedZeppelin]

Fire is at the old Montgomery mill right at the corner of Main St and the WL/EW bridge. Looks like they shifted to a central command frequency of Med 3 (463.0500) so all the responding fire departments can communicate with each other. Was in Windsor Locks earlier and saw UConn Health Center and Canton Fire Departments responding to the scene, so you know it's a biggie.

Building appears to be a total loss and is going to be knocked down before it totally collapses, which is a shame as it was a Windsor Locks landmark for many years.

 

[dimab]

red plan was activated
UCONN health center took TAC3, East Farms E10 went also, along with Avon and several other towns.
They will be there through tomorrow.

 

[dittrimd]

Tolland County sent multiple agencies. Broad Brook and East Windsor both went immediate mutual aid assignment.

I know that Tactical Group 1 was activated pretty early on. This consists of the following
HQ - 22 TN County Coordinator - Assigned Chief Officer
Engine Tank 141 from Vernon
Engine Tank 140 from Tolland
Engine Tank 134 from Bolton
Rescue 141 from Vernon
Tower 141 from Vernon

I believe Tactical Group #2 was also activated at some point.
HQ-32 TN County Coordinator - Assigned Chief Officer Car 244 from West Stafford
Engine Tank 142 from Crystal Lake
Engine Tank 145 from Staffordville
Engine 638 Broad Brook which should have already been their as part of the first call mutual aid response.
Rescue 146 from Somers
Tower 144 from West Stafford

At 2330 my Tactical Group 3 was activated
HQ-42 TN County Coordinator
Engine Tank 305 from Columbia
Engine Tank 115 from Andover
Engine Tank 108 from South Coventry (Engine Tank 208 was the apparatus that actually responded)
Rescue 111 from North Coventry
Tower 115 from Andover

For Tolland county radio communications we were on 33.78. Vernon used their in vehicle repeater for UHF communications on site. Tolland Fire had their new repeater which was not officially online yet set on 33.78 which repeated the fire ground stuff very well on 154.740. I listened to the Coventry 33.78 cross band repeater and heard some stuff but not as well as the Tolland VHF frequency.

I also heard that Windor Locks has an old VHF military frequency that they used. Something like 170. All in all anther glaring example of how totally inadequate this states emergency communicaitons are. Yet another learning situation that we will learn nothing from except to avoid taking any action. Seems all branches of government at all levels have gotten good at that when it comes to radio comms. (Can you tell I am frustrated!!)

 

[PJH]

170.15 is not an old military freq. Its a normally assigned channel...you just don't see it that often.