• History of the Band

  • The New Haven County Firefighters Emerald Society Pipes and Drums band is made up of career firefighters from all over the State of Connecticut.

  • We perform at Fire Department functions as well as community events and strive to uphold the dedication and integrity of the fire service and the men and women who serve this noble profession.

  • Slow Beginnings in Milford

  • In 1990 a group of Firefighters from Milford started taking lessons. Before long this group was down to one, Jim Coubrough. By 1992 Jim was up and playing his pipes and the Milford Fire Department had it’s first piper.

  • A Band Begins to Form

  • By late 1994 more Milford Firefighter pipers were up and playing their pipes. With the addition of a bass drum, the Milford Fire Department Pipes & Drum Band was born. They played as a band for the first time in 1994 at the Fire Dept. Sick Benefit breakfast in Milford.

  • The Bands Tartan

  • The band’s tartan is the Modern Mackenzie. The motto of Clan Mackenzie is “I shine, not burn."

  • Expansion Begins

  • In 1997 the New Haven Fire Department Emerald Society opened up to career firefighters countywide and our band members joined up. The Milford Fire Department Pipes and Drums led the Society in New Haven’s St. Patrick’s Day parade that year. By 1998 two firefighters from New Haven joined our band as pipers. By the end of the year we added another Milford firefighter on bass drum. This allowed for a Drum Major.

  • New Name, Same Game

  • The Emerald Society officially changed its name to the New Haven County Firefighters Emerald Society in 1998. The band also changed to the same name later that year, and all of the band members joined the Emerald Society. The 1999 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New Haven was our first parade as the Emerald Society band.

  • The Band Continues to Grow.

    The band has appeared in parades throughout Connecticut as well as The St. Patrick Day Parades in Southie, (Boston), Savannah, Georgia, Charlotte, North Carolina, Manhattan, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, the Key West St. Paddy’s Day Bar Stroll and the IAFF Fallen Firefighter Memorial in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
    The band also appeared in the Tattoo at West Point and at the 2002 Fallen Firefighter Ceremony in Washington, D.C. and PipeFest, Tartan Day 2002 in N.Y.C.

    The band continues to perform at funerals, selected fund raisers and various community based events. Anyone wishing to request a bagpiper or the entire band can contact Band Manager Mike Torino by calling him at 203-815-2927 or e-mailing him at thefunband01@gmail.com

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