South End Volunteer Fire Department

08/10/2026

A tragic day for the town of New Hartford and the town of Burlington. We remember Colin McFadden and our hearts are with the Burlington Volunteer Fire Department, the community and all who knew and loved him.

Hard to believe that its been five years... While the tragedy of the New Hartford House burning has been permanently etched in our minds forever, I continue to remember the miracle I witnessed that night - watching so many people - from so many different towns - coming to our aid (at 2am) when we needed them most. Volunteers firefighters from about 30 different fire departments - Police, Ambulance, Red Cross, Eversource, Torrington Water Company all working together with a common purpose...to get everyone out of the building safely! At the core was Chief Mark Worsman and the entire New Hartford Fire team...with Chief Bob Diorio and South End Volunteer Fire Department right by their side helping. They all were amazing! They were successful...and everyone was saved from the burning building...most with just the clothes they were wearing (they lost everything). An experience like this strengthens my faith...that no matter the trouble of the moment...everything is going to be alright. The outpouring of generosity from our community that helped all the victims relocate and recover was another amazing miracle. We remember Colin McFadden from Burlington Fire today - and everyday - who answered the call and came to us in our hour of need...and passed doing what he loved to do...helping others! RIP Colin! We'll never forget the fire....and we'll never forget you...

08/06/2026

Last week’s visit to Camp Brodie is a highlight of our summer! We spoke about fire safety - specifically, what to do if your smoke alarm sounds and how important it is to get out quickly and to a safe space away from the fire. We discussed that firefighters are trained and prepared with the necessary gear to search for anyone inside, including pets and to leave personal belongings behind. After, the kids enjoyed unloading water from Engine 1 (mostly towards Chief Diorio) and taking a tour of the truck. Thank you to the staff of Camp Brodie for having us!

08/01/2026

Incident Stats 🚨
Month of July: 23
Year-to-Date: 97 (including an incident from earlier today)

07/27/2026

🩸 Our next blood drive will be Thursday, September 3rd, from 12PM-5PM. Please make an appointment at the link below, if you are interested in donating. 🩸

📍 20 Antolini Road

Find the nearest Red Cross blood, platelet or plasma donation center. Make a difference in someone's life, give the gift of life.

07/19/2026

It is with great pride that we announce Mike, Warren and Max Carroll have completed the Firefighter I course at the Litchfield County Regional Fire School. Upon completion of their written exams, we will have 3 additional certified interior firefighters! 🚒 The Carroll brothers committed 160 hours to completing this course over the summer, while still dedicating time to our weekly drills, meetings and even preparing the trucks for the Tunxis Hose Parade last week. 🔥 Nepaug is grateful to have such dedicated individuals. Congratulations and thank you for all of your hard work!

We would also like to congratulate Ryan Eseppi of the New Hartford Volunteer Fire Department for graduating today as well. Great work, Ryan!

Today is also Mike’s birthday! Happy Birthday, Mike!🎂

07/19/2026

07/12/2026

Yesterday our members participated in the annual Tunxis Hose Fireman’s Parade with Brush 5, Engine 1 and Tanker 2.

07/08/2026

We are deeply saddened to hear of Karen’s passing, who was also our former secretary. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and loved ones during this difficult time.

NEW HARTFORD -

Karen S. Wieduwilt, 68, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, July 6, 2026 surrounded by her family. She was the loving wife of Mark C. Wieduwilt for 34 wonderful years. Born May 15, 1958 in Torrington; the daughter of the late John and Theresa (Yankovic) Sekulski.

Karen retired as Tax Collector for the Town of New Hartford after many years. She was a communicant of Our Lady of Hope Parish, Immaculate Conception Church in New Hartford.

Karen was an avid reader, a talented cook, baker, knitter and crafter who found joy in creating for others. She loved the outdoors and enjoyed kayaking, hiking, and walking her dogs. A devoted animal lover, she cared for many beloved dogs, cats, and chickens over the years. Above all, Karen cherished time with her family and friends, and her greatest joy and proudest accomplishment was being a
mom.

In addition to her devoted husband, she leaves her cherished daughters, Emma, Sara and her fiancé John Carey, and Clare; a granddaughter on the way; siblings, Stephen Sekulski and Robert Sekulski and wife Cindy, all of New Hartford; nephew, Michael Sekulski, and many cousins. She also leaves her dog, Zeke and three granddogs.

Friends may call on Sunday, July 12, 2026 at Montano-Shea Funeral Home, 5 Steele
Road, New Hartford from 1 - 4 PM. A Mass of Christian burial will be held Monday, July 13, 2026 at Our Lady of Hope Parish, Immaculate Conception Church, New Hartford at 10 AM. Graveside services will be private at a later date at St. Francis Cemetery in Torrington. Visit an online guestbook at montano-shea.com

07/07/2026

A few safety tips as many residents are still navigating power outages:

•Generators must be at least 10 feet from a house with 3-4 feet of clearance on all sides of the unit for proper ventilation.
•Be sure to keep the generator away from doors, windows and vents to prevent carbon monoxide from entering the home.
•Never utilize a generator in a garage, basement or any other enclosed area, even with windows or doors open.
•Every floor of a home should have working carbon monoxide alarms. It is a silent killer - you could breathe it in for hours and not know. Change your batteries and make sure your alarm is under 10 years from manufactured date.
•If you need to re-fuel your generator, shut it off and let it cool before doing so to prevent fires.
•If you have any symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, do not hesitate to call 911. Symptoms include headache, weakness, vomiting, confusion and dizziness.