City of Meriden, Department of Fire and Emergency Services, 561 Broad St, Meriden, CT 06450, US

The City of Meriden Fire Department started out with a horse-drawn truck back in 1851 and has grown to a five-engine, one-truck fleet today. Run by Waterbury native Chief Jim Trainor, the department responds to fire and medical emergencies in the city. Its firefighters are active in the community, partnering with local and state organizations to provide fire prevention equipment and education to residents as well as participating in events like the Daffodil Festival, holiday bell ringing and clean-up days. The entity is also politically active, having supported two bills that successfully went through the state legislature since 2007: one that allows fire departments to give smoke alarms to residents without liability and another that forces manufacturers to sell only fire-safe cigarettes in Connecticut. The Fire Department has five stations spread throughout the city: Engine 1 at 168 Capitol Avenue; Engine 2 and Truck 1 at 61 Pratt Street; Engine 3 at 561 Broad Street; Engine Company 4 at 260 Sherman Avenue; and Engine Company 5 at 1075 East Main Street.