Contact:
Matt Taylor
Communications Associate
Phone: (802) 478-1806
Email: mtaylor@uppervalleyhaven.org
Hartford Fire Department Conducts Training at Future Upper Valley Haven Site
The Upper Valley Haven is proud to support the Hartford Fire Department by providing the 608 N Main Street property for training exercises before its demolition to make way for a new Haven facility.
Over the past few weeks, fire crews have trained on key firefighting techniques, including handline deployment, vertical ventilation, and wall breaching. Hose deployment exercises help firefighters manage and advance hose lines while understanding their limitations. Vertical ventilation allows heat and smoke to escape, improving interior conditions and aiding hose crews in their fire suppression efforts. Wall breaching is a critical technique, providing firefighters an emergency escape route by creating an opening in the wall to reach a safer area.
“We’re so grateful that the Haven allowed us to train in their building,” said Hartford Fire Chief Scott Cooney. “This type of hands-on training is invaluable and cannot be replicated through simulations alone. Such opportunities significantly strengthen our firefighters’ abilities in fire suppression and rescue operations, ultimately enabling us to better serve our community.”
The 608 N. Main Street property is the future home of the Haven’s Emergency Shelter & Resource Center, a 9,000-square-foot facility designed to provide a 20-bed, low-barrier emergency shelter and a comprehensive daytime resource center. Once completed, the shelter will provide over 5,000 bed nights annually, offering stability to more than 100 individuals each year. The resource center will allow guests to receive housing assistance, employment support, public benefits access, and connections to healthcare providers. The old “25,000 Gifts” building will be demolished, and a new building will be built on this property.
Haven Executive Director Michael Redmond commented, “We’ve been proud to call Hartford our home for 45 years and have relied on the support of emergency services for our shelter guests and community clients in their times of need. Having the opportunity to help the Hartford Fire Department train its team is a small gesture of expressing our gratitude.”
The Haven is now launching the public phase of its fundraising campaign to close the final gap in funding for the project. Thanks to generous grants, private donations, and community support, $8.4 million of the $9.4 million goal has already been secured. The campaign will support the property purchase, building construction and a fund for program operations over 5 years.
For more information on how to support this critical project, visit uppervalleyhaven.org/NewShelter.
