Community Corner

Tolland Fire Department Celebrates 44 Years of Volunteer Service

The department thanks retired firefighter Bruce Cropper for more than four decades of service.

From the Tolland Fire Department:

The Tolland Fire Department celebrated 44 years of volunteer service from Firefighter Bruce Cropper on Friday night at Angellino‘s Italian Restaurant in Vernon. Cropper joined the Tolland Fire Department in June of 1967. Cropper retired from the department last June. Cropper’s original retirement party was originally scheduled for November 04, 2011 six days after Storm Alfred. Unfortunately, the Town of Tolland Emergency Operations Center was still activated and many of the fire department personnel were working tirelessly for over 6 days assisting with the restoration efforts. In good spirit for the mission he help serve for more than 44 years he agreed to postpone.

Bruce rose to the rank of Captain in the department. He served on the Board of Directors for many years most of them as the Corporate Treasurer. Cropper also served as the Fire Department Safety Officer for many years as well. Cropper and Retired Assistant Chief Richard Symonds were two of the first firefighter’s to be certified by State of Connecticut Commission on Fire Prevention and Control as Safety Officer’s. Last night many of his friends that have retired from the department before him spoke of Cropper’s passion for the fire service. They talked of the days back in the 1960’s and 1970’s when they each would take fire trucks home during the day so they could reduce the response time to fires and accidents.

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Cropper was instrumental in the creation of the Tolland County Dive Team. The dive team is a group of firefighters and EMT’s within Tolland County that are certified as SCUBA Divers. The Tolland County Rescue Dive Team is a volunteer regional dive team which draws its members from area volunteer fire departments and EMS agencies.  The team is responsible for dive rescue and recovery operations in and around Tolland County as well as swift water and ice rescue support as requested. 

 

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