We Need Your Help

We've outgrown our tight quarters built more than 50 years ago, and need to expand them to cope with the increasing demands placed on Noroton. However, it is only through the community's generous financial support that this will be possible.

What the Expansion will mean to Noroton and the Community we Serve

1. Expansion of the apparatus area will provide more space for the increasing size and complexity of emergency equipment our firefighters need to protect your family.
   
2. Upgrading of the kitchen, restrooms, and the addition of an elevator to comply with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act will allow the firehouse to better serve as a designated emergency shelter when it is needed

Why we Need to Expand?

What Will the Expansion Entail?

Noroton's Contribution to the Community?

How are we Funding it?

Why We Need to Expand?

        Noroton has evolved immensely in the last fifty years. It's evident that our responsibilities and equipment are far larger than when the firehouse was designed in the 1950's. While we continue to put out fires, we are also their for car accidents, home disasters, chemical spills, health and safety situations, boating emergencies on Long Island Sound, and numerous outhers. The existing firehouse has served us well, but the needs of our community have grown considerably in the intervening years. The expansion of the firehouse will not only meet current needs – providing more room for modern emergency equipment and the gear needed for our active firefighters – but will keep the Noroton Fire Department capable of serving and protecting you and your loved ones well into the future.

What will the expansion entail?

        The $1 million project will add much needed square footage to the existing building – extending the portion of the structure added in the 1970’s and putting a second level over that as well as the original single-story rear portion of the firehouse.

Noroton's Contribution to the Community?

           Everyday our volunteers are there to put out fires, assist at car accidents, prevent home disasters, clean up chemical spills, and rescue boaters on Long Island Sound. Yet as busy as we have been in the past, 2006 is shaping up to be our busiest year yet. During the most recent tropical storm, Noroton volunteers spent over 320 man hours responding to home emergencies caused by flooding, downed power lines, and fallen trees. The efforts of the Noroton firefighters saved lives and protected property throughout the emergency. In addition, during that day in September, the firehouse was a shelter in the event evacuations were necessary.

While the Noroton Fire Department continues to put out fires it also contributes to the community in many ways that you may not realize.  Here is a brief sampling of those activities that you may not associate with the Noroton Fire Department.

• Noroton's 100% volunteer firefighters are available 24/7                                    to protect your children in their schools and your loved ones                               in your home.
  

• Noroton is part of the Mutual Aid System in the town of Darien                          and the greater region.

• When there are boating emergencies on Long Island Sound,                                 Noroton is called.

• When there is an accident on Interstate-95, Noroton is called                              as back-up.

• Noroton is there for car accidents, if a truck overturns,                                         for chemical spills, or if power lines are down.

• Noroton has rescued people and animals from cold water                                      and ice.

• Noroton has searched with the Darien Police Department to                                successfully locate missing children.

• If home flooding becomes an electrical safety issue, Noroton                                 is there.

• Noroton's firehouse, per the town wide emergency plan, is a                                designated emergency shelter.

How we plan on funding the expansion?

Simply put the answer is YOU. 

              The Noroton firehouse is NOT owned by the town of Darien; it is owned by the fire department. We don’t rely on tax money for our building needs. To make this expansion a reality, we need to raise one million dollars from private funds. Your town taxes stay low because the all-volunteer Noroton Fire Department is run so efficiently. To meet Noroton's annual operating costs, the town contributes only a portion of what is needed for the purchase and maintenance of the firefighting equipment, vehicles, and the firehouse itself. This amount is supplemented by citizens’ contributions to the Annual Fund and our annual boat raffle.

We're ready to help you in your time of need. Please help us now - by contributing generously to our Capital Campaign.