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The
Woodstock Volunteer Fire Association (WVFA) is a nonprofit volunteer
organization whose purpose is to provide emergency services to the Town of
Woodstock. The WVFA is made up of people who live or work in the WVFA Fire
District who have chosen to perform community service by volunteering as a
Firefighter, Rescue Team Member, Fire Police, Medical Technician, or Support
Team member.
The WVFA provides the Town of Woodstock
with fire protection services
for the WVFA Fire District and to provide ambulance service for the entire
town of Woodstock. The WVFA Fire District primarily serves the South and
Southeastern sections of Woodstock including Woodstock Hill.
WVFA actually
contains several groups - the WVFA Firefighters, the WVFA Search and Rescue
Team, the Woodstock Emergency Medical Service (WEMS) and the WVFA Support
Team. The WVFA provides the organizational and financial framework within
which each of these groups operates.
 The WVFA
Firefighters are the largest group within the organization. The
Firefighters respond to all types of fires, to automobile accidents, to
searches, they assist in water rescues, and assist in medical calls. The
WVFA Firefighters also have their own Fire Police who provide traffic
control at a fire scene.
The WVFA Search
and Rescue Team is primarily responsible for carrying out water rescue.
It is staffed by firefighters and SCUBA divers from all three fire
departments in town.
The Woodstock Emergency Medical
Service (WEMS) is a combination of personnel from the Woodstock
Volunteer Fire Assocation, Bungay Fire Brigade and Muddy Brook Fire
departments
 that
respond to all medical emergencies in the Town of
Woodstock.
Medical Response
Technicians (MRTs) and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) staff
the ambulances which are housed at the Woodstock Volunteer Fire
Association Station 76 on Route 169. Additionally, MRTs and EMTs
from Bungay Fire Brigade or Muddy Brook Fire Department provide
immediate medical care for emergencies as First Responders in their
fire districts, until the ambulance arrives at the scene. WEMSs
ambulance personnel provide support from the scene to the hospital.
WEMS is also a participant in Northeastern Connecticut’s
Paramedic Intercept Program. The 911 Dispatcher or WEMS personnel
on the scene may request that the Paramedic “intercept” the
ambulance to provide advanced care for critical patients prior to
reaching the hospital. In some emergencies, WEMS calls in Life
Flight (Worcester) or Life Star (Hartford Helicopters for transport.
The WVFA
Support Team members provide support services (such as refreshments) to
the other groups during emergencies. Since this group is very new, it
functions are expanding as needs are identified.
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