The Fire Unit, founded a few months after Rescue to protect the campus and nearby student housing in Fort Ethan Allen, operates as a battalion of the Colchester Fire Department, Vermont’s busiest volunteer fire department. The Fire Unit responds to approximately 650 calls a year, including structure fires, brush fires, car fires, motor vehicle accidents, medical assists, utility emergencies, fire alarms, and carbon monoxide alarms. The unit trains weekly and provides primary fire protection to the town of Colchester, parts of City of Winooski and the college community. Service began in 1970 with a 1957 Ward LaFrance fire engine.
As the first college-affiliated fire department in New England, Saint Michael’s Fire & Rescue has been a model for colleges nationwide. Currently, the students maintain a fleet of two fire engines. Engine 9, a 2017 E-One Typhoon pumper. It is first due for all fires, alarms, and hazardous material incidents. Engine 8 is a 2009 custom Sutphen pumper designed by the students to fit the current and future needs of the town , is the unit's secondary engine and responds to medical assists and motor vehicle accidents. |
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