A Fire Department for All [PHOTOS]

If you took photos or video at the ceremony, be sure to add them here. 

Almost a year to the date of their ceremonial groundbreaking, the brand new 34,000-square-foot was open for business. On , they officially opened their doors to the public to celebrate this state-of-the-art facility with a ribbon-burning ceremony and parade.

Branford Fire Chief Jack Ahern, Assistant Chief Shaun Heffernan and the many career firefighters of the department, greeted the public and offered a look inside the new space, which features a fully functioning community meeting room for residents and town officials.

Speakers of the cerememony included Ahern, Deputy Chief Ron Mullen, retired New York Fire Department Deputy Director of Dispatch Operations, , Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, Senator Edward Meyer, , Branford Town Engieneer , and Branford Fire Commissioner Robert J. Massy. The event was emceed by William Hackett, State Emergency Management Director. A model of the old fire department was presented by Matthew Lacroix, son of Fire Commissioner Dave Lacroix. Branford High School Music Makers sang the National Anthem and the Stony Creek Fife and Drum Corps played music selections. A prayer was given by of . Amazaing Grace was sung by Rev. Charles Woody and wife of Rev. Maxine Woody of .  Rev. Sharon Gracen of  blessed the new fire headquarters. 

The building process of the $12.5 million-bonded project was done on time and ahead of schedule and features a 58-ton geothermal heating and cooling system, a solar panel system to generate and supply clean electricity; the new fire department is the town’s first LEED Silver certified building.

We’ve been following the demolition and construction process of the firehouse since Patch opened in late December 2010. Below is a list of the stories we’ve covered in the past two years if you want to read up.

Fire Department Timeline