May 2018 – Page 13 – DoingItLocal

Want To Be A Firefighter?

Multiple fire agencies within the State of Connecticut area are seeking applicants to establish eligibility lists for the position of Firefighter. These departments will be testing as a consortium and one application will grant applicants the ability to apply to all departments. Apply through IOSOLUTIONS.com. Test dates will be scheduled for the week of June 16-23, 2018. Locations to be announced. Local Fire Chiefs through the Connecticut Career Fire Chiefs Association are offering a single testing process for candidates to apply and compete for firefighter positions in 11 Fire Departments. The Chiefs have collectively contracted with a national testing company, IO Solutions, to test candidates for entry-level positions.

Now for the first time, applicants can take a single exam to qualify for career opportunities in any of the departments which they meet the minimum qualifications. Fire Departments have recognized that attracting the best candidates was expensive and time-consuming for both for the municipalities and the applicants as well. This Statewide approach to testing will save departments thousands in contract fees and countless hours in test administration. Additionally, it has been long recognized that applicants are testing in multiple communities so the administration of a Statewide test is a logical solution for the applicants as well. Applicants are paying local application fees, taking time off from work and traveling long distances to compete for firefighting positions.

The Statewide test format eliminates that redundancy of those efforts and expenses. The Connecticut Career Fire Chiefs are committed to cost-effective solutions to our common problems. Statewide testing improves the testing process and reduces cost. This welcome budget and administrative relief is an important part of the Chief’s commitment maintaining high-quality emergency services for our communities. Participating Fire Departments: Branford East Hartford Farmington Fairfield Mansfield Naugatuck New Canaan North Haven South Fire District Middletown Westport Wilton For more information contact: Denis McCarthy, Fire Chief/Emergency Management Director Fairfield Fire Department 140 Reef Road, Fairfield, CT 06824 203-254- 4713.

This press release is made possible by:

Norwalk News: Sexual Assault Arrest

#Nowralk CT–On December 22, 2014, Norwalk Department of Police Service received information that Antonio Lazaro Torres-Rodriguez had been sexually abusing a child in Norwalk over a prolonged period of time. An investigation was quickly initiated, revealing that a second juvenile victim was involved. The assigned investigator, Detective Tim Marquis of the Special Victims Unit, secured an arrest warrant for Torres-Rodriguez. While attempting to take Torres-Rodriguez into custody, it was learned that he had fled Connecticut. He was tracked across multiple states, eventually eluding law enforcement.

On March 12, 2018, Torres-Rodriguez was arrested in Orlando, FL for Driving Under the Influence. Despite having provided a false name to Orlando authorities, Torres- Rodriguez’s fingerprints revealed his true identity as well as the fact that he had an active arrest warrant stemming from the Norwalk incident. Orlando authorities contacted Norwalk Police.

On May 8, 2018, Detective Marquis and Sergeant Orr traveled to Orlando, took Torres- Rodriguez into custody, and transported him back to Norwalk without incident. Antonio Lazaro Torres- Rodriguez is scheduled to appear in Norwalk Superior Court on May 9, 2018. Arrested: Antonio Lazaro Torres-Rodriguez, 39, with no fixed address.

Charges: Sexual Assault 1st (two counts), Risk of Injury to a Minor (two counts), Intentional Cruelty to persons (two counts). Bond: $1,000,000

(Norwalk Police Press Release)

Bridgeport Senators Vote To Ban Bump Stocks

HARTFORD, CT – Democrats in the State Senate today led passage of critical public safety legislation banning bump stocks which can turn semi-automatic weapons into automatic weapons. Bump stocks are devices that transform the firing mechanism of a semi-automatic weapon into a weapon that fires like a fully automatic weapon; a bump stock was used in the Las Vegas shooting, where the shooter was able to fire an estimated 90 shots in 10 seconds. It also makes the weapon less accurate.

“Banning these bump stocks will move us closer to making our state a safe place where people want to raise their children,” Senator Marilyn Moore (D-Bridgeport) said. “In the 22nd Senatorial District, we felt the pain of our neighbors in Newtown in 2012, and we know the damage that can be done using these automatic-style weapons. It’s harmful to families and the communities they live in.”

“Too many lives across the country, including the 58 lives in the tragic Las Vegas shooting, have been lost to these types of weapons,” said Senator Ed Gomes (D-Bridgeport). “These bump stocks, which make it easier to fire rounds quickly from a semi-automatic weapon, have no place in our society. Banning them is the right thing to do to make our communities safer.”

HB 5542, An Act Concerning Bump Stocks and Other Means of Enhancing the Rate of Fire of a Firearm, generally makes it a class D felony for anyone, except a licensed firearms manufacturer fulfilling a military contract, to sell, offer to sell, otherwise transfer, or offer to transfer, purchase, possess, use, or manufacture a “rate of fire enhancement” (e.g., a bump stock). By law, a class D felony is punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine up to $5,000, or both.

This press release was made possible by: