It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Dartmouth Fire District 2 website, a valuable resource for our Fire Protection District. I have been a proud member of the fire service for almost 25 years and look forward to serving the residents and businesses of this district.
Dartmouth Fire District 2 was started in 1922 to protect the lives and property of the citizens of Russells Mills Village. The Department was created because the town was losing valuable property by fire within the community. The volunteers originally were just residents from the community who wanted to help. They owned farms, businesses and homes within the village and they had little training. They were a re-active group of citizens. When emergencies took place, they reacted and responded to do what they could to help.
A lot has changed in the fire service since 1922. Today we operate a combination department consisting of one full time Fire Chief, two full time firefighters and about 20 paid on call members. The department relies heavily on its on-call force, which consists of men and women who want to serve their community and protect the lives and property of our neighbors. The difference now is that we are living in a complicated world where we have to be pro-active and not re-active. Today's firefighters have to be highly trained and prepared to handle modern and complex emergencies.
Over the past several years, our fire department has witnessed a large amount of change and a community that continues to grow. Accelerated training programs, firefighting equipment, growth in fire prevention, public outreach and complex emergencies to name a few, puts more demands on our staff each year. My job in keeping all of this growth managed is not something that could be accomplished without the support and dedication of my staff.
Dartmouth Fire District 2 is committed to change, which has always come very hard to the fire service. In today's world, my job as Fire Chief is to ensure that all my staff go home at the end of the day. We strive to improve the well-being of our Fire Department family, respecting our past while planning for the future.
I am very proud to be given the opportunity to lead this organization as we move forward. I encourage your participation in our effort to provide the highest level of service we can. If you have any comments, concerns, or would like to just stop by and say hello, we would appreciate any feedback.
Respectfully,
Erick Turcotte
Fire Chief