West Hartford Fire Fighters Local 1241

10/31/2026

Happy Halloween!! Stay safe out there!

10/27/2026

This evening Local 1241 President Sean Howard swears in our newest member William Berrey. Welcome aboard Will. May you have a safe and rewarding career.

10/06/2026

Congratulations to Captain John Bigham on his recent retirement! Captain Bigham joined the department on 7/9/12 after a career with the Waterbury Fire Fighters Association, IAFF Local 1339. The knowledge and skills he brought with him made the Local better and the Town safer. Thank you for your service and enjoy your retirement!

10/06/2026

Sunday marked the final tour for Captain Brian Antigiovanni. After 25 years of dedicated service, he is beginning his well deserved retirement. He joined the department on 9/24/01 during the most tragic and fastest changing periods in the history of the fire service. He went on to be a positive force and lifted up all of those around him. We wish him luck on his future endeavors and thank him for all that he has done for the Town and the Local. Congrats Cpt Anti!

10/01/2026

09/02/2026

Congratulations to Firefighter Paramedic Joe Tarasek on successfully completing the paramedic precepting process and achieving Medical Control through Hartford Hospital!

Becoming a paramedic represents years of education, training, clinical experience, and continued professional development. Paramedics provide Advanced Life Support (ALS), the highest level of prehospital medical care, using advanced assessment, medications, cardiac monitoring, airway management, and other critical interventions to identify, stabilize, and treat life threatening medical emergencies.

WHFD paramedics are trained to look beyond a patient’s immediate symptoms, identify and treat underlying causes when possible, stabilize critically ill or injured patients, and provide continued advanced care while transporting them to the hospital.

All five West Hartford fire stations staff an engine or ladder company with a company officer, apparatus operator, and at least one Firefighter EMT or Firefighter Paramedic. In addition to our fire companies, two paramedic intercept units, commonly known as “fly cars,” are strategically staffed throughout town.

These medic units are designed to quickly bring a paramedic and Advanced Life Support capabilities directly to the patient, significantly reducing the time between a 911 call and the arrival of advanced medical care. They respond to fire and emergency medical incidents throughout their assigned response areas and are an integral part of WHFD’s emergency response system.

Completing the precepting process and receiving Medical Control marks an important professional milestone. Firefighter Paramedic Tarasek is now cleared to independently provide Advanced Life Support care as a WHFD paramedic.

Please join us in congratulating Firefighter Paramedic Tarasek on this accomplishment and wishing them continued success serving the West Hartford community!

08/28/2026

Elevator rescues are one of those calls that most people never think about until they’re stuck.

For your West Hartford firefighters, these rescues require specialized training, teamwork, communication, and an understanding of the many moving parts involved with modern elevator systems.

Our members regularly train for these challenging scenarios so that when someone needs help, we’re prepared to get them out safely and efficiently.

Constant training, preparation, and teamwork to protect the people we serve.

Thank you to FOX61 for highlighting the work our members put in behind the scenes.

Read the full story here:

https://www.fox61.com/article/news/local/hartford-county/west-hartford/elevator-rescue-training-lot-of-moving-parts-west-hartford-connecticut-firefighters/520-f4459977-6def-4ea4-90d8-59911ad85e25

The entire fire department is training for the many possible scenarios of an elevator rescue.

08/18/2026

A big thank you to the Town of West Hartford and the Town Council for their support and approving our new four-year contract.

As your West Hartford firefighters, we take a tremendous amount of pride in serving this community. We appreciate the recognition of the work our members do every day and the willingness of the Town and Council to work with us toward an agreement that supports our members while continuing to provide the highest level of service to the residents and visitors of West Hartford.

Contracts like this take a lot of work, communication, and compromise on both sides. We’re grateful to everyone who put in the time and effort to get this done.

Most importantly, thank you to the residents of West Hartford for continuing to support their firefighters. We’re proud to serve this community and will continue to show up every day ready to answer the call.

Thank you, West Hartford. 🚒🇺🇸

08/02/2026

We had an absolute blast hosting our Youth Fire Academy this week!

Led by West Hartford Fire Department Instructors, this immersive 1-week, full-day summer program gave teens ages 13–17 a firsthand look into the fire service.

Our cadets experienced a true week in the life of a professional firefighter/paramedic. Each day challenged them with:

• Morning workouts to build teamwork and stamina.
• Gear Training on how to properly wear and use specialized equipment.
• Hose Lines and active water-handling drills.
• Search and rescue navigation through tight, smoky environments.

Local 1241 is incredibly proud of our members for investing their time to mentor and inspire the next generation of first responders.

Thank you to all our amazing cadets—we hope to see you next year!

08/01/2026

Today marks 10 years of the Town of West Hartford Fire Department proudly providing Advanced Life Support (ALS) Paramedic Services to the Town of West Hartford.

Since launching the program in 2016, our members have responded to 112,831 calls for service, with nearly 70% of those calls being EMS related. These numbers reflect not only the growing demand for emergency medical care, but also the dedication, professionalism, and compassion our members bring to every response.

Having firefighter/paramedics staffed throughout the department has made a direct and meaningful impact on the health and safety of our residents and visitors. Every day, our members deliver advanced, lifesaving care when seconds matter most, improving outcomes and strengthening the service we provide to our community.

Thank you to our firefighter/paramedics, firefighter/EMTs, dispatchers, and all of our member’s past and present whose commitment has made the past decade of ALS service a success. We are honored to serve the Town of West Hartford, CT and look forward to continuing this mission for years to come.