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Address
158 Burlington Road
PO Box 165
Harwinton, CT 06791
Phone/Fax: 860-485-0544


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NEW AMBULANCE BUILDING INFORMATION


Community Benefits and Key Facts

The existing space has not met the needs of the Harwinton Ambulance Association for many years.  In fact, finding a new location for the ambulance has been an ongoing project for over 20 years.

The current headquarters consists of single vehicle bay and a 16' x 16' room in the firehouse on Burlington Road. It does not provide the necessary space and resources as it lacks:
  • A training/meeting area
  • Bunk rooms
  • Office space
  • Equipment storage space
  • Kitchen facilities
  • Showers/decontamination area
  • Secured records storage area
  • Sufficient space in ambulance bay 
Our members are encouraged to spend their 12-hour duty shifts at the Ambulance Garage as much as possible in order to reduce response times; in addition to the lack of operational space, the lack of sleeping or kitchen facilities makes this impractical.

We feel it is important that taxpayers understand by supporting their volunteer ambulance service they are helping us ensure that we can continue to provide quality emergency medical care while contributing over $300,000  in tax savings back to the community every year as opposed to using a commercial EMS service.

Ambulance facilities throughout the years

Since its inception Harwinton Ambulance has operated out of several locations in town.  After forming on May 9, 1963 the ambulance was stationed out of a barn owned by Dr. Gerald Baker of Harmony Hill Road.  In November of that year they moved to the Town Garage on Locust Road.  In 1978 members began to search for a new location as the Town Garage no longer met the needs of the ambulance.  In 1981 a property on Davis Road was discovered which was suitable for a new facility.  It was estimated to cost $33,400 to construct the building at the time. 

At the same time another property became available though the donation of land by Henri David just west of the center firehouse for enough land to build onto the firehouse and add a space for the ambulance and a meeting room.  The ambulance moved into the new building at the end of 1982.

The need for a new building:

By the early 90’s it was evident that the ambulance was outgrowing the space that was provided for them by the addition.  With the addition of a second ambulance in 1994 and the lack of a bunk room, kitchen facilities, showers for decontamination, and a large enough meeting area, it was apparent that the Ambulance Association needed a larger space.  Over the last 20 years several potential sites have been investigated.  Several years ago the gas station next to the Center firehouse, an ideal location for the building, was placed on the market.  With the combination of the ideal location, and grant funding secured by the town, the Ambulance Association is finally in a position to construct a building that meets our needs.

The following pictures illustrate just a couple of the reasons why we are in need of a new location that is large enough to run the day-to-day operations of our ambulance service.
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The New Building Proposal   

The proposed location is at the site of old gas station next to the Harwinton Center Firehouse on Route 4.  The benefits of this location are numerous including easy access to a main road, and its proximity to the firehouse.   In June of 2010 the Board of Selectmen appointed a Building Committee to work with the Ambulance Association to design a structure that fit well into our community and provides adequate space to meet the long-term needs of the organization.  Everything from the ambulance bays to the training room to living quarters was carefully reviewed and discussed.  For Building Committee minutes, please click here to visit the Town’s website.

The building committee consists of the following Harwinton Citizens:

Jason Emery - Chair
Bob Collins - Vice Chair
Todd Mattiello - Secretary
Brian Dunbar
Jim Elliott
Dan Fiore
John Fredsall
Bill Gordon
Peter Thierry

The Building Committee presents the following design as being in the best interest of both the Town and the Ambulance Association.  It incorporates the features required to support Emergency Medical Operations for our community in a manner that suits both current and future needs.

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During the design process there was also a strong focus on the energy efficiency of the structure.  This goal is to minimize the operating expense of the structure.
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