City of Rutland Fire Department

10/03/2026

This morning at approximately 1:05am the department responded to a commercial fire alarm at Building #20 in the Howe Center.

Crews arrived on scene to the alarm system sounding and an activated sprinkler system water gong. While performing a walk around, the Incident Commander observed heavy smoke through the windows in the northern half of the building. Crews forced entry and encountered heavy smoke banked down to the floor and zero visibility. A shift recall and a 1st alarm were transmitted.

Crews found stacked cardboard on pallets to be on fire, but contained by the sprinkler system that had activated due to the heat. Crews initiated an interior attack to extinguish the remaining fire. West Rutland and Clarendon Fire Departments were requested to the scene to assist. Rutland Town Fire Department was requested to cover the station and the city. Time was spent overhauling the pallets and ventilating the smoke from the large structure.

Damage was limited to the pallets of stacked cardboard with no extension to the structure. No injuries were reported. All units were clear of the scene by 0345hrs.

We would like to thank our mutual aid partners, Rutland City Police Department officers and dispatchers, and the Rutland City Building and Zoning office for their assistance this morning.

09/30/2026

Today began day one of four training sessions where members train in incident management and fire suppression skill sets under live fire conditions.

Session one presented our Acting Company Officers, the future leadership of the department, with real world scenarios which challenged the members both physically and mentally. Our Acting Company Officers were supported in their incident management and tactical decision making processes by members of the department who refined skill sets in fire attack, search and rescue, forcible entry, ventilation, and apparatus operation.

Thank you to the Vermont Fire Academy for supporting our training mission; an additional thank you to the Hinesburg Fire Department for providing an additional crew to aid our members in a successful day of training.

09/22/2026

Application period open through the 2nd of October, 2026!

09/14/2026

Today, the Vermont Hazardous Materials Response Team, with assistance from the Fire Department, are burning off the remaining v***r out of the propane car from the train derailment this weekend. This is a planned and controlled event with no safety concerns to the public. This is happening along the railroad tracks west of Strongs Avenue.

The Rutland City Police Department and the fire department are receiving multiple calls for reports of fire in the area. The flare stack can be seen from a long distance and extra care should be used before calling in a report of fire.

09/12/2026

Please see the below update!

🚨Update to the Park Street incident:

The derailed train has been successfully uprighted and back on its tracks. The rail car will be moved down the tracks where the propane will be transferred. You may see a flame from the burn off of the excess propane. Know this is a controlled burn and there is no hazardous threat to the community. We want to thank all emergency response personnel, Vermont Railway, Vermont State Fair, and RJ Corman Railroad Services for the collaboration and successful outcome of this operation.

TRAFFIC ADVISORY | PARK STREET CLOSURE

RUTLAND, Vt. – Due to an incident involving a train derailment on Park Street, Park Street will be closed from Granger Street to Porter Place until further notice.

Alternate routes are available while emergency personnel and crews continue working at the scene.

**IMPORTANT**

As a result of the incident and associated road closure, today’s Monster Truck Show at the Vermont State Fairgrounds has been postponed until tomorrow, Sunday, September 13.

Updated Event Information:
• Gates open at 1:00 p.m.
• Show begins at 3:00 p.m.

We appreciate the public’s patience and cooperation. Additional updates regarding the road closure will be provided as they become available.

09/12/2026

Due to an incident on Park Street and for the safety of the public, today's Monster Truck event at the Rutland Fairgrounds has been postponed to tomorrow. The gates will open at 1:00pm with the show beginning at 3:00pm.

Public Safety and subject matter experts are working to resolve the propane tank car derailment.

08/26/2026

FIREFIGHTER ELIGIBILITY LIST BEING CREATED
Submit your application today!

Application period open through the 2nd of October, 2026; testing to occur late October/early November 2026.

Applicants for testing shall hold a Pro-Board FF 1 or equivalent, as determined by the City of Rutland Fire Department.

Applications may be filled out through the QR code located on the attached flyer, the City of Rutland website, or a paper application may be mailed or emailed to the locations stated on the attached flyer. Please supplement the application with a resume and any pertinent certifications and training records.

08/10/2026

On August 9, 2026, shortly after 2:00 p.m., the Manchester Communications Center received a 911 call reporting that a hiker had fallen at Lye Brook Falls and was injured.

Manchester Police Department, Manchester Fire Department VT, and Northshire Rescue Squad were dispatched to the scene. Responding agencies established a staging area off the Lye Brook Trailhead. Lye Brook Falls is located approximately 2.3 miles from the trailhead, with approximately 900 feet of elevation change, requiring responders to travel a significant distance into the area. The injured hiker was located within the falls, in difficult and challenging terrain.

Due to the location and complexity of the rescue, additional assistance was requested from Dorset Fire Department, East Dorset Fire Department, Pawlet Volunteer Fire Department, West Pawlet Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., Rupert VT Volunteer Fire Department, and Arlington VT Fire Department.

Because of the technical nature of the rescue and the difficult terrain, a technical rescue team from City of Rutland Fire Department was also requested to assist with the operation.

LifeNet of New York was requested to respond to the Manchester Public Safety Facility, where the helicopter landed. The medical crew was transported to the scene to assist with the rescue and provide medical care.

The U.S. Forest Service and Vermont Fish & Wildlife Wardens also assisted with the rescue operation.

The Manchester Communications Center coordinated the multi-agency response, bringing together fire, EMS, law enforcement, and state and federal resources to safely reach and assist the injured hiker in the challenging terrain.

08/05/2026

Monthly apparatus checks took the C-Shift on the road today to the old College of St. Joseph campus for high volume pump training. This pump training allowed new operators the opportunity to manage six discharges of varying size, flowing more than 1,700 gallons of water per minute; a volume routinely seen on many large fires. This training session also allowed for an invaluable look into the water distribution system managed by the City of Rutland DPW as Water Division Manager & Chief Operator Tom Garofano was on-site monitoring pressure fluctuations citywide, while such a large volume of water was being utilized.

06/18/2026

A Tornado Watch has been issued for our area between 10:00am-3:00pm today. Please be safe! Have a way to keep up to date with weather alerts and stay indoors if a storm approaches.

Please see the Storm Prediction Center Website for more information.

https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/watch/ww0352.html