The sudden cold snap after months of unseasonably warm weather has left Northwest Corner residents scrambling to keep warm — and safe.
With temperatures reaching below zero at night, it’s dangerous to be without heat. But as old furnaces are being pushed to keep up with the needs of drafty older houses, many are malfunctioning.
The Lakeville Hose Company was called out to 111 Farnam Road on Friday, Feb. 2, after neighbors called in reports of copious amounts of smoke billowing from the home (see story, page A3). The cause? Not a fire, but a malfunctioning furnace.
The area’s heating oil suppliers are working around the clock to keep up with calls for emergency repairs and service.
"You can never gear up enough for this kind of weather," said Paul Signorrello, sales manager at SCASCO in Cornwall.
Representatives of area oil companies agreed.
"The colder it gets, the more work we have to do," said Jennifer Mayville, who works in the service department at George M. Taylor & Sons, which has an office in Millerton. According to Mayville, Taylor responded to about 150 emergency calls in January and 30 on the weekend of Feb. 3.
John Hull of John B. Hull, Inc., which has an office in North Canaan, said his technicians work six days a week and are on call on Sundays.
"It’s ongoing," he said. "This morning, by seven o’clock, we had one service guy out and three drivers who had started their day."
The three heating oil suppliers The Journal spoke with all have similar policies when dealing with heating emergencies. They take calls on a first-come, first-served basis, making exceptions for true emergencies.
"People with funny noises are put on the back burner until others are taken care of," Hull said. "It’s a question of priorities and who’s most in need."
Mayville said that Taylor’s response time varies depending on the circumstances of the day.
"It’s different each day, depending on the number of calls that we have and how cold it is," she said. "If it’s very very cold, they’re going to try to respond much quicker. You don’t want someone’s house to freeze while we’re trying to get someone out there."Town Aid for Oil Emergencies
Some residents find themselves in a dangerous position when they can’t afford to replace an ailing furnace, or they run out of fuel and can’t get delivery because of unpaid balances.
Ella Clark, the social worker in Sharon, stressed that the towns in the area can help in situations like these.
"We’ve had a couple of people in Sharon where either their furnace was on its last legs or they ran out of fuel and had to go out and buy 10 gallons of diesel fuel until their fuel delivery," she said. "We do have resources for these kinds of emergencies. Once they let us know, we can help them."
Clark said that the town can guarantee payment for an oil delivery and help out with the cost of a new furnace.
"They may or may not qualify for state fuel assistance, but they can get help from the town."
Patrice McGrath, the social worker in Salisbury, echoed Clark’s statements and added that many people are taking advantage of fuel assistance programs this year.
"I haven’t counted, but my folder feels a lot thicker than it used to," she said.
Clark said that she is grateful for the private citizens who have contributed to the Northwest Corner Fuel Bank this year. Their support has enabled the towns to help in emergency situations (contributions may be sent to Northwest Corner Fuel Bank, P.O. 385, Sharon, CT 06069). To receive assistance for heating costs, call your town hall and ask for the town social worker; or look in the blue pages of the phone book for social worker under the town name.Help Is on the Way
Though the winter has turned bitterly cold, and staying warm may become a challenge, the oil companies and the town’s social workers want Northwest Corner residents to know that they are not alone.
"We have 24-hour emergency service," Mayville said. "Our guys are out and they stay out until everyone has heat. That goes right up to the Taylors. If we’re that busy, they’re taking calls themselves."
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