West Haven Professional Firefighters- IAFF Local 1198

05/08/2026

Delayed water rescue incident:

Last night just after 9PM, Center District M4 and West Shore District M3 were dispatched to New Haven Harbor for a reported overdue small vessel with two parties onboard. Both M3 and M4 conducted searches which were assisted by a West Haven PD drone and West Haven Dispatchers relaying last known cellphone coordinates. Ultimately, two parties were successful rescued from the water after their boat capsized using heat signatures from the WHPD drone and M4 flir system for search. They were brought to shore by M3, care transferred to AMR, and transported to the hospital for evaluation.

With water temperatures in the low 50’s, both parties were wearing life jackets which directly contributed to being successfully rescued. Additionally, it was known by a party on shore that they were on the water and overdue.

Great work by all involved!

05/07/2026

Immediate life saving efforts including automatic external defibrillator use by West Haven High School staff prior to the arrival of our Center District members directly contributed to successful resuscitation of WHHS Principal Bohan who was in cardiac arrest.

We are thankful for the team effort which resulted in the best possible which was saving a life!

Staff members and first responders will be honored for their actions after the principal suffered a sudden cardiac arrest on school grounds.

04/26/2026

Join West Haven Professional 911 Dispatchers - IAFF Local 5127 as they celebrate the retirement of Dispatcher Jules Biehler on Friday, May 1st - 3:30PM in the WHPD community room.

04/24/2026

04/24/2026

This morning, all three districts participated in a mock crash demonstration at West Haven High School.

The demonstration underscored the severe and potentially fatal repercussions of operating a motor vehicle while impaired, distracted, or engaging in reckless driving. The powerful message was delivered with the hopes of instilling life saving decisions this prom season and beyond.

In addition to the three districts, the drill was conducted in collaboration with WHHS students and staff, West Haven Professional 911 Dispatchers - IAFF Local 5127, WHPD, American Medical Response New Haven, West Haven Funeral Home, and Bruneau's Garage Inc.

West Haven Public Schools

03/29/2026

Local 1198 expresses our sincere condolences to family, friends, members of Bridgeport Firefighters, IAFF Local 834, and Bridgeport, CT Fire Department as they grieve an insurmountable loss of Firefighter Terrence Cramer.

03/29/2026

March 29, 2019 - LODD
Firefighter/Paramedic James Woodman, 55
West Haven Fire Department. West Haven, CT
Firefighter/Paramedic Woodman was a member of Recruit Class #15 at the Connecticut State Fire Academy. Only two days after being out of the academy, on October 5, 1999, Woodman was part of an ambulance crew transporting a child who had been struck by a vehicle to the Yale-New Haven Hospital. As they neared the hospital, the ambulance was broadsided by a bus and rolled over multiple times. Woodman sustained a traumatic brain injury that resulted in his living in a long-term care facility until his death on March 29, 2019. The child who was being transported and other crew members of the ambulance were seriously injured but have all made complete recoveries.

03/17/2026

We regret to announce the passing of Chief Richard Massaro (retired - City of West Haven - Allingtown). Hired in 1976, Chief R. Massaro served the District for 24 years including the last eight as Chief.

Services are as follows:

Mass of Christian Burial:
Wednesday, March 18 - 10AM
St. John Vianney Church of St. John XXIII Parish
300 Captain Thomas Blvd.
West Haven, CT 06516

Interment:
Private

https://www.westhavenfuneral.com/obituary/Richard-Massaro