Station 5 is a four-person, split engine company with two staff members assigned to the engine and two staff members assigned to the paramedic response vehicle. The engine is typically staffed with a Lieutenant and a Firefighter/EMT, while the paramedic response vehicle is staffed with a Firefighter/Paramedic and a Firefighter/EMT. The two units operate in tandem with the exception of the paramedic vehicle responding to another area for paramedic coverage. Engine 5 responds to over 650 calls annually and Medic 5 responds to over 1,600 calls for service annually.
Station 5 serves the Bryan Farms area, much of Manchester’s largest industrial park and many of Manchester’s newer hotels. The paramedic vehicle provides primary paramedic services to the Eighth Utilities Fire District.
The station is actively involved in fire prevention and public education programs, including Child Safety Fairs at numerous Hale Road retail establishments, preschool and elementary school fire prevention presentations, and public relations and safety standbys at Northwest Park for all Silkworm baseball games.
Station 5’s Firefighters Memorial Garden was created a few short years ago by a dedicated group of staff committed to preserving the memory of firefighters lost in the line of duty. The garden is a living memorial with sections dedicated to the Worcester 6, FDNY 9/11, and a local firefighter from nearby West Hartford Fire. The garden has become a regular stop for residents and travelers from afar. Nearly one hundred visitors stop by each year to pay respect to those lost. The garden is continuously open for self-guided tours and an opportunity for reflection.