FIRE POLICE UNIT

 

The North Branford Fire Department is authorized to operate a unit composed of Fire Police officers. Their role and responsibility lie within the CT General Statutes and assist NBFD and NBPD whenever augmentation to traffic incident management services are requested. The Fire Police Unit is under the command of Captain Ed Doody (FP-1) and is made up of 10 FP officers. Their duties are outlined below.

“CGS Sec. 7-313a. Fire police. The authorities having the supervision of the fire department of any town, city, borough or district may appoint such number of persons, within available appropriations, as they deem necessary to be fire police officers of such municipality or district, who shall have the powers and perform the duties in such municipality or district as designated and authorized by the fire chief of such municipality or district, and such fire police officers may exercise such powers and duties in any adjoining municipality or district while on duty with the fire department or with a cooperating fire department, where the department is engaged in mutual assistance. Such powers and duties shall include traffic control and regulation and may be exercised by such fire police during any fire drill or fire call or at any other time when such fire police are serving with the fire department, with any other fire department in an adjoining municipality or district or with any fire department rendering mutual assistance. Each such fire police officer while in the performance of fire police duties shall wear the badge of office in plain view of any observer. Each such fire police officer, while directing traffic in performance of the duties of fire police, (1) shall wear a white helmet with the words "Fire Police" in red letters on the front thereof or regulation fire-police dress uniform cap and after dark or in inclement weather, a traffic safety vest, orange or lime green raincoat or any reflectorized orange or lime green outer clothing, that meets national, state and local traffic safety standards, (2) carry a flashlight, which shall have a red or orange wand and be capable of projecting a clear light for the purpose of illumination at nighttime, and (3) utilize hand-held or portable traffic control devices appropriate for the time of day, weather and traffic flow. Such helmet, cap, vest, raincoat or outer clothing, badge, traffic control equipment and flashlight may be supplied by the appointing municipality or district.”