Fire Services Review Special Committee Meeting (linked)

1EN ROPE FERRY ROAD PHONE: 86042-0553
svwwasalerfondeLurg
WATERFORD, CT 06385-2886
FIRE SERVICES REVIEW SPECIAL COMMITTEE
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2025 5:30P.M. APPLEBY Room (Town HALL)
14. Establishment of quorum; call to order
2. Public Comment
3. Approval of minutes for July 9, 2025, meeting.
ion on the RTM’s charge to the committee (RTC 6/7/21):
and staffing and present their findings/recommendations
teering document and strategic plan.
4. Consideration and possible act!
Review issues including performance, policies,
on any changes needed to enhance public safety, creating a s
a. Review and act upon proposed “housekeeping” and edits to the Draft Final Report submitted
to RTM July 23, 2025.
b. Discuss process and potential action to deliver revised report to RTM.
5. Adjournment.
encl: July 9, 2025, Minutes te :
Revised Full Report Draft #3 9/7/25 \ -o

1.0 Executive Summary
Firefighting has occurred in Waterford from the earliest days of its villages as more structures
were built which needed to be protected from the destructive damage caused by intermittent
fire events. This largely community-based private firefighting effort took on a more organized
form about a hundred years ago when four private firefighting companies, all started by
volunteers, were established in the 1920’s and the fifth was created in the early 1940s. The
Town Rad-financially supported these efforts in various ways for decades, which support was
codified in a formal agreement with the Companies in 1978 and 1979, The Town established a
Eire Commission under state statute, ordinance and ehartesCharter provisions to oversee the
Town’s financial participation of this private community-driven firefighting model. As the costs
associated with firefighting in Waterford grew, for large, specialized fire trucks, equipment,
gear and training, the Town contributed millions over the last century to Waterford’s private
flre service operation. In the early 2000s more and more discussion occurred about a larger
Town role in the management of community fire services, culminating ina 2010 change in
Waterford’s charter-Charter moving from the management of fire service by the Fire
Commission to a Town Fire Department supervised by a Director of Fire AdmainistratorServices.
Serving as a departrnent head in Town government, the Fire-AdministeaterDirector works under
the daily supervision of the First Selectman as ehief-Chief executiveExecutive, A Paid Fireman
Ordinance was adopted at the same time in recognition of an emerging need to have Town
staff supplement the efforts of volunteers in the reliable provision of fire services across
Waterford, Over the last fifteen years the Town has administered this emergent. “combination”
model of both paid and volunteer efforts with new issues arising constantly regarding the
health and safety of firefighters, technological development and effective resource deployment
strategies.
The Fire Services Review Committee was charged with studying this historic evolution of fire
services in Waterford from a largely private endeavor to an increasing Tewr-Town-managed,
staffed and funded effort. The Committee has reviewed extensive documentation provided by
Town staff (primarily the previous Director of Fire Services), engaged in vigorous discussion
over 25 meetings within the Committee and with members of the Committee. The Committee
has identified numerous issues the Town will need to address as Waterford’s fire service
continues to evolve.
The Committee’s objective is for the deliberative effort described above to be reflected in this
report to the RTM and through them to the community so Waterford’s decision-makers can
make better informed decisions going forward about the Waterford’s fire service, which
performs a critical government function by protecting lives and the Town’s 4.4 bilion-dollars-

werth-oftaxeble propertreal and personal property tax base currently valued at
approximately 4.3 billion dollars.
The precise path of the continuing evolution of Waterford’s fire service will be largely driven by
collaborative decisions made each year in the budget process by the Board of Selectmen, Board
of Finance and RTM as informed by input and recommendations from the Fire Administrator
Director and First Selectman regarding both annual operations and current as well as projected
capital requirements.
2. Introduction
2.1 At the June 7, 2021, meeting, under new business initiated by the Chair of the Public
Protection and Safety Standing Committee, the RTM voted to create a special committee, “Fire
Services Review Special Committee”. The charter-charge of the new committee was “to review
issues including performance, policies, and staffing, and present their findings /
recommendations of any changes needed to enhance public safety, creating a steering
document and strategic plan”. Per the approved motion, the committee shatlwas to consist of
five full voting members as follows:
2 RTM Members {appointed by the RTM)
1 Public Protection and Safety Committee Member (appointed by the Public
Protection and Safety Committee
1 Board of Finance Member (appointed by the Board of Finance}
1 Board of Selectmen Member (appointed by the Board of Selectmen)
And five advisory non/ voting members as follows:
Fire Services Director
Emergency Services Director
Waterford Ambulance Manager
One Volunteer Fire Chief (appointed by consensus of the 5-five Waterford Fire
Companies or the 5-five chiefs)
One Full Time Career Fire Fighter (appointed by the consensus of the Waterford Full-
time Firefighters)
It is noteworthy to highlight that there was a recent compilation of fire-Fire services-Services
studies entitled “Fire Service Study, 2018” which is a collection of Fire Services related

information dating back to 1995 including Task Force 95 Study, and Fire Service Study, 2001, This
compendium is a very valuable and relevant historical reference, covering substantia! portions
of Waterford’s rich and diverse Fire Services history.
The balance of information surveyed is listed in the bibliography _and copies are included in the
Commiittee’s transmittal to the RTM.
The process then;that-the committee-Committee followed in generating this report and the
findings-/-recommendations herein was one of deliberate discussion and debate on the topics
of interest, as well as solicitation and retention of both quantitative and qualitative information
as primarily provided by the Director of Fire Services, other advisory members, and the public
as captured in meeting minutes. All information used by this committee (including various
revisions based upon year / time) and used in this report has been originally presented to the
committee. The source materials used to create this report are provided on the Waterford Town
website under the Fire Services Special Review Committee title.
In January of 2023, an Interim Report was prepared and approved in a 3-0-1 vote and delivered
to the RTM.
The report recommended that the Oswegatchie Fire Station, described as being in “extensively
deteriorated condition”, be demolished and that a new Fire Station be built to replace it. The
findings of the interim report were presented at the February 3", 2023, RTM Meeting by the
ehairmanChairman, at which time, partly because of the findings, the RTM unanimously voted
to create the Oswegatchie Fire Station Building Committee.
3.0 Fire Services History
Prior to the incorporation of the private fire stations which occurred between 1920-1940,
according to An Illustrated History of Waterfard Connecticut, a bucket brigade was organized to
put out the Baptist minister’s neighbers—neighbor’s house fire, and housewives used brooms to
but out stubborn brush fires... Since the early 1900s the five private fire stations listed in Table 1
have served the Town of Waterford. Along the way, changes were made in how fire services
were managed and administrated to grow with community changes.
In 2010, the Waterford Fire Department was created and the historic management structure for
fire services in Town, the Fire Commission, was disbanded; in accordance with a Town charter
revision, The new department was created via the Code of Ordinances (Chapter 2.36). and
bascedthe PTR As uith ~amoin ttn

The Town is divided into 5-five fire districts, each with its own fire department and fire station.
Each fire department is incorporated as a non-profit corporation under the General Statutes of
the State of Connecticut. Each fire department has an individually signed legal agreement with
the Town stipulating that they it will provide fire services in exchange for an annual funding
appropriation from the Town. Historically, Each-each fire department was required to prepare
and submit a budget to the Board of Fire Commissioners, who then would tabulate it with input
from the other fire departments, the Fire Marshall’s Office, and the Emergency Communications
Center, and submit this to the Board of Finance for review. Each fire department is
independently managed and operated, in accordance with bylaws established by each, and has
its own hierarchy of officers. Each department provided volunteer fire-fighting activities to the
Town, and there were provisions made to provide mutual aid among companies.
In essence, with funding provided by the Town, until 2011 the Board of Fire Commissioners
managed Fire Services for Waterford. The organization was largely distributed with multiple
levels of volunteer oversight, few-ifanylimited checks and balances, and no direct Jewn
accountability to the Town. But it was a step towards a more centralized organization to better
address Waterford needs.
The Board of Fire Commissioners was replaced in 2010 by Charter revision-Revision by a Town
Fire Department with more centralized management structure, featuring-administered by a
Director of Fire Services. This position eliminated the second tier of management over the
private fire departments, instead creating a direct line of reporting and accountability from the
individual fire departments to a professional Town Fire administrator. This change in
organization established accountability for the efforts of the fire companies, as well as the full
and part-time paid fire fighters, y-to the Director and ultimately the First Selectman of the
Town, as Chief Executive. !t also centralized the budget creation and allocation process. The
eurrent-Director of Fire Services, per Town Ordinance, is responsible for all fire service-related
functions including:
e Policy development and management
® Equipment procurement and maintenance
e Hiring of paid firefighters in association with the Human Resources Department

e Training of persannel and maintenance of standards
e Maintenance of the firefighting infrastructure
e Department Staffing
e Volunteer recruitment and retention
e Emergency Communications
e Fire Marshalls Office
e Budget development and long-range planning
e 6Fleet Management
In addition to creating a leaner more accountable fire services organization, it-the new
Department also consolidated data collection and management. It formalized and centralized
record retention. This information, including examples like response type and frequency,
volunteer participation, training, expenditures, fleet maintenance, capital planning, equipment
inventories, etc. were collected and tabulated for management review and use as opposed to
being mined periodically from the seurced_five private departments or the former Fire
Commission. The formal collection and tracking of these streams of data contributed to a
greater ability to evaluate current fire services activity_and overall performance ane-as well as
forecast future needs. This evolution in Waterford’s fire services management structure was the
single most impactful step taken by the Town in recent history regarding Fire Services. It was
essential to unify and modernize policy and practice. This change also encouraged the use of
data-driven decisions, supplanting previous decision making that depended on_more subjective
the-Board of Fire Commissioners’ consensus for recommendations.
Along with this change came vertical organization and consistency in policies and practices.
As a result of the Gommunity-s-community’s decision, threweh-by revising the Charter, to move
to a different management structure, Fire services-Services today is more organized and ina
better position to deliver firefighting services to the Waterford taxpayer in a safer and more
cost-effective manner.
Fire protection in the Town of Waterford was originally provided by volunteers, working out of
the five stations. At one time there were hundreds of registered volunteers. The town was flush
with people looking to give back and to provide public service. The stations thrived based upon
local fund raising and were in-essenceto a great degree, self-supporting.
Volunteers were the backbone of Fire Services until 1961, when the first part time firefighter
was hired by the Town of Waterford. Over time and for a variety of reasons, the ranks of
volunteers have shrunk. The reasons are mainly economic, with fewer people able to take time
off from work to provide service. The drop in volunteers has resulted in the need to hire paid

fire fighters as replacements to provide acceptable levels of fire service to the Town. Currently
there is an active list of 30 volunteers, as characterized by responding to at least one incident
annually, as reported in data provided bythe previous Director of Fire Services. Some fire
depactments stations have a more robust level of volunteer support while others are nearly at
risk of becoming non-functional and therefore in breach of the Agreement with the Town, due
to their limited volunteer participation.
In general, the volunteer fire fighting corps of the past has dramatically declined, and the future
is pointing to the need for more paid firefighters.
The Town of Waterford now functions as a “combination” fire service composed of both paid
and volunteer firefighters. Due to similar economic issues nationally, this is becoming the
normal situation for many municipal fire services. What cannot be achieved historically with
volunteers is being augmented by part time or full time paid fire fighters.
Combination fire services-departments have consequences, some good and some not so good.
Among the upside consequence is that coverage of certain parts of Town can be provided part
or full time by paid fire fighters. They can also be deployed to various stations as need dictates.
They are independent of a specific fire station. Among the downsides is that the additional
coverage comes with increases in operational costs and unfortunately has resulted in occasional
chafing between the paid and unpaid ranks, despite all certified firefighters, volunteer or paid,
being trained to the exact-same standards. The failure to sometimes get along is a potential
distraction and if unaddressed a possible detriment to Waterford’s fire services.
At the other end of the fire services spectrum, there are some towns, for example New London,
which have fire services composed entirely of paid fire fighters. Moving to an all-paid firefighter
service will come with a large cost that will only grow with time, based upon annual increases in
salary, benefits, and retirement costs.
The Town has historically benefited greatly from depending on an all-volunteer service for many
deeadesnearly a century. The only financial burden previously born by the Town was associated
with training, materials, asd-equipment,_and maintenance (vehicles and buildings};). Salaries,
and the associated benefits, were not part of the equation.
A significant takeaway from the change in composition of Waterford’s fire services is the focus
on performance and cost. The use of data, emergency response type, time, frequency and from
which part of town, now become important in conducting ongoing cost/benefit analysis
analyses by the Town. Are there adequate responders to address the risks? Does the Town have
adequate-enough funding to provide adequate staffing of fire services?
Not having significant numbers of volunteers to augment the efforts of paid staff creates
ongoing resource allocation decisions for the Director and ultimately the First Selectman. These
6

staff resource decisions should be based on quality data properly utilized. If possible, it is in the
best interest of the Town to continue to recruit and maintain a corps of volunteer firefighters to
not only maintain the rich history of the town, but more importantly help manage growth in fire
services costs.
The town is-continues to be supported by 5-five fire companies, described in Table 1, located on
the map provided in Figure 1, and depicted in Figures 2-6.

Fire Date of
Company Fire Company Name Street Address Incorporation
Waterford Fire Engine
1 Company 89 Rope Ferry Road 1923
2 Quaker Hill Fire Department 17 Old Colchester Road 1927
3 Goshen Fire Department 63 Goshen Road 1928
4 Oswegatchie Fire Company 441 Boston Post Road 1930
5 Cohanize Fire Company 53 Dayton Road 1942
Table 1- Private Fire Gompany Demographic DataCompanies and Date Established
OSWEGATCHIE
FIRE COMPANY
GOSHEN
FIRE DEPARTMENT
‘N
MEARE Cerin
_
retaas
QUAKER HILL
FIRE
COMPANY
7 CONANZIE FIRE Kc
ms COMPANY
“ WATERFORD 5
“| FIRE ENGINE I
COMPANY 4 5
a
Figure 1- Map of the Town of Waterford Depicting Locations of Fire Stations and-Fire- Districts

Figure 4- Oswegatchie Fire Station

Figure 5-Jordan Fire Station
Figure 6- Goshen Fire Station
4.0 Demographic Information
The Town of Waterford was incorporated on October 8, 1801. It is a partly rural/partly suburban
town 36.7 sq. miles in size, with 23 miles of coastline and a population of 19,554 +/- and is part
of New London County. Waterford has grown at a slow but steady rate since the 1970's,
although State projections completed in 2016 expect Waterford’s population to decline through
2040.
Despite these projections, the population continues to enjoy modest growth, and recent
employment announcements from local businesses (for example Electric Boat) suggest that
area populations including Waterford could increase. The Town’s Director of Planning and
Zening-notes-noted that the population appears to be increasing slightly. Figure 6 demonstrates
10

the census trend, Table 2 depicts current development underway as of March 2025. Additional
commercial growth is likely with the revitalization of the Crystal Mall and the potential for the
eventual development of the airport property on Crossroads South and a possible data center
on the Dominion property.
Figure 3.1. Population Change by Decade (1970 - 2020)
20,000 .
19,517 19,871
19,000
18,000
17,000
16,000
1970 igga 1990 2000 2010 2020
Souree: US. Decennial Census 1970 - 2020
Figure 6-Population Change by Decade
(Town of Waterford, Key Demographics and Trends}
Recert Nuaty Constnucied, Angeoved & Pending Hoasing
Afordable me Fa Dinte do BD BD Bp di90
is i. ANUS
; Pomoved 4 % Re 6 z Guibert
Opritated fi B 8 4 Opwegatctie
Conmbucted 10 0 Oseegatchs
Consbusied =. 204 16 B Gent Neck
tay HE Vilas oder Constaxtion a 4 B 28 Great Neck
Natedord Ceotrat Under Consiuction a A Ww BR Gepal Neck
nde Corsiucton a 8 a7 Gyeal Keck
ending 2s age ee 16 Ses : ee ‘Gibbet BECL©
[seme Kasey Moline Ramngd Dnetyenul Deputner eal stg
Table 2-Summary of Current Residential Building Units as of September 2024
The population density is 435 residents per square mile, less than the state average of 648
residents per square mile, but more than the New London County;- average density of 348
residents per square mile,
11

More resident workers commute out of Town for employment than the number of employees
who travel ¢e-into Waterford for work.
Both Fhethe number of workers commuting into Town and the share of residents working in
Town #as-have decreased since 2010.
Waterford is nestled between Montville to the North, East Lyme to the westWest, and New
London to the eastEast. The former two are like Waterford demographically, while New London
is a small city with approximately one third more residents (approx. 28,000) than Waterford.
5.0 Findings and Discussion
5.1 Emergency Response Types and Frequencies
Data on types and frequencies of responses as well as response times was provided by the
Department of Fire Services to the Fire Services Ad-Hee Special Review Committee and was
distilled into graphs to better display pertinent information.
Response types and frequencies are depicted in Figures 7-11.
Total Responses
20 21 23 24 25
Fiscal Year
4500
4000
3500
3000
2500 |
2000
1500
1006
500
Number of Responses
17 18 19
Note: Responses for year 2025 have been extrapolated based upon responses through March}
Figure 7- Eight Year Trend of Responses
12

Percent of Structural Fires
Number of Responses
Structural Fires as a Percent of Total Responses
om DD HH CO Mm 8
eS orm NM
o &
17 18 19 20 21 23 24 25
Fiscal Year
Figure 8- Percent of Total Responses that Are Structural Fires
Total Number of EMS Responses
Fiscal Yearr
Figure 9- Eight Year Trend of EMS Responses
13

EMERGENCY RESPONSE TYPES, AVERAGE 2017-2025
Fires
2%
Other
: Other Includes the
following calls: Hazmat,
_ Service, Series,
False Alarm, Severe
Weather / National
Disaster, Special Type of
| Incident
~ Figure 10-Eight Year Summary of Percentage of Structural Fires, EMS, and Other Incident
Types
Seven Year (2018-2025) Average Response Time by
Company
12.00
10,00
8.00
6.00
Minutes
4.00
2,00
Cohanzie Fire GoshenFire Jordan Fire Oswegatchie Quaker Hill Fire
Department Department company Fire Company
Department
Figure 11- Average Response Times by Company

As seen from the data, most responses are responses to EMS calls throughout town as well as
motor vehicle accidents with and without injuries, structural fires hazardous conditions, service
calls, good intent calls, false alarms, and severe weather incidents,.
5.2 Capital Plan
An abbreviated capital / facilities plan was provided by the previous Director of Fire Services. A
copy is attached as Appendix A, and is distilled here in Table 2
YEAR b
STATION 24 ry 26 a7 2g Totais COMMENTS:
Jordan $ 100,000.00. $65,000.00] $ 55,000.00. $ 220,000.00 {kitchen in 2027
Quaker Hil) $ 450,000.00 $ 150,000.00 [Bunk RoomRenovations, Bathroom Renovations
Goshen. $ 450,000.00 $150,000.00 |Inchides items pushed out from 2023 and 2025, Roof replacement 2030
Oswegatchie | $ 80,000.00 $80,000.00 [On hold pending new building H
Cohanzie $ 30,000.00 $__ 30,000.00 [Bunk room, bathroom, day room renovations, new windows and doors
: $ 630,000,00
Table 2- Out yearYear Maintenance Planning of-for Existing Stations,
per Town’s approved Capital Improvement Plan
5.3 Staffing Findings
The Town of Waterford Fire Services are currently staffed full-time as shown in Figure 12.
15

Staffing Plan
Ne
oS
me
wn
fos.
OQ
Full time firefighters
3 = 3
23-24 24-25 25-26 26-27 27-28 28-29 29-30
Fiscal Year
i
scones Annual Additions of FT Firefighters «Running Totals
Figure 12- Current and Projected Staffing
This is an increase in the previous numbers of firefighters from the previous year. Appendix B
outlines the previous Director of Fire Services’ recommendation for staffing the fire stations in
Waterford over the next 5 years. Asummary of his assessment is provided herein. Figure 12
also graphically depicts the proposed increase. The dip in hiring reflects a pause to assess
needs, The new-Director of Fire Services will be making his own staff recommendations to the
Town in next year’s budget-cycle.
It is important to underscore that staffing levels for the Waterford Fire Department have
increased since the inception of the Ad-Hee-Fire Services Review Special Committee.
The previous Director of Fire Services has expressed a strong belief that staffing should continue
to grow to meet both the current and future demands facing the community. This view has
been echoed by the new Director Increased construction, population growth, and rising call
volumes will require additional response capabilities to maintain Waterford’s public safety
standards.
Key Takeaways from the Director’s January 2025 Staffing Report
e Full-Time Staffing of Three Fire Stations
The Director recorsmends-recommended that three fire stations should be staffed full-
time with career (paid) firefighters:
16

o Company 1 (Jordan)
o Company 4 (Oswegatchie}
o Company 5 (Cohanzie}
Although specific justifications are not explicitly Hstedstated, it is presumed that
these companies were selected because they have:
* The largest call volumes.
« Strategic geographic distribution: one station near each east and west
end of Town and one centrally located station providing rapid access
across Waterford.
Part-Time Staffing of Two Fire Stations
According to former Director Howley, Fhe-the remaining two stations, Quaker Hill and
Goshen should be staffed with part-time paid firefighters to ensure broad coverage while
managing costs.
Importance of Maintaining Adequate Staffing
Maintaining sufficient staffing is critical to:
o Protecting personal safety and property.
o Maintaining aas high Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating as reasonably
achievable, which directly affects residents’ insurance premiums.
Review of Staffing Growth Every Three Years
Staffing levels and the pace of growth should be formally revisited on a three-year cycle
to adapt to changing community needs.
Competitive Salaries
Until 2024, Waterford’s starting firefighter salaries were below the state average.
However, the most recent labor contract addressed this disparity, helping facilitate the
hiring of 3-three new firefighters.
Pursuit of SAFER Grants
The former Director recemmendsrecammended aggressively applying for SAFER
(Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grants to offset hiring and
personnel costs.
Projected Staffing Model for FY 2030-2031
The former Director’s plan emvisiernsenvisioned:
o 10 career firefighters on duty always (requiring 30 career firefighters total)
17

o A24/48 schedule (24 hours on, 48 hours off)
o Ablend of part-time staffing seven days per week
o Full operations from all five fre Fire stationsStations
o Deployment of a variety of apparatus tailored to incident needs.
» Standards of Response Coverage (SOC) Analysis
The Department should consider conducting a Standards of Response Coverage (SOC)
analysis to formally evaluate operational efficiency and identify opportunities for
improvement.
In presenting his Staffing Plan, the former Director alse-prevides-provided a brief history of the
Waterford Fire Department's staffing evolution. The trend reflects a slow but steady migration
toward paid firefighters, driven by challenges in retaining and recruiting sufficient volunteer
personnel.
The Director identifies-identified four critical factors justifying the continued expansion of paid
staffing:
1. Nationwide Decline in Volunteer Firefighters
Recruitment and retention challenges mirror a broader national trend.
2. Increased Calls for Service
Higher call volumes place additional strain on the fire response system.
3. Commercial and Residential Development
Development in Waterford is progressing at a pace that threatens to outstrip current
service capabilities.
4, Service Response Times and Their Impact
Variations in response times can have serious consequences for life safety, property
protection, and insurance costs.
Establishing appropriate staffing levels of fire stations can be a challenging task. There are no
definitive legal requirements, whether federal or state that dictate the specific number of
firefighters each town or station must have. There are two primary organizations whose
standards influence fire departments throughout the state and nation, These are:
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)- a federal agency under the U. S.
Department of Labor responsible for setting and ensuring safe and healthy working conditions
for employees, through the issuance of enforced standards.
18

NFPA (National Fire Protection Association)- a global not-for-profit organization that develops
and publishes over 300 standards and codes that target the elimination of economic loss, injury,
and death due to fire, electrical or related hazards. Their standards are widely recognized and
commonly adopted but not mandated.
Two primary organizations, OSHA (QeeusetionalSafetand HealthAdminicstratienland NFPA
{National fire-Pretection Association}, publish many standards that significantly influence fire
department operations and fire service deployment. Among these are several overarching
standards that impact fire department staffing, either directly or indirectly. The most referenced
include:
e OSHA 29 CFR 1910.156 — Fire Brigade Standard
This standard establishes requirements for fire brigades, including organizational
structure, training and education, personnel requirements, and the use of personal
protective equipment (PPE). it specifically applies to fire brigades performing interior
structural firefighting.
e OSHA 29 CFR 1910.156 Revision — Emergency Response Standard
A proposed revision of the Fire Brigade Standard, this updated Emergency Response
Standard—once approved—will impose a significant number of new requirements.
These will largely focus on expanded training, qualifications, and safety procedures for
fire stations. The revision has completed its public comment period and is pending final
issuance. However, the official effective date remains uncertain as of the publication of
this report.
* OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134 — Respiratory Protection Standard
¥hese-This standard addresses requirements for respiratory protection in hazardous
environments. Critically, it establishes the “Two-in / Two-out Rule,” which mandates that
two personnel must remain outside a hazardous environment to monitor and assist two
personnel operating inside an IDLH (Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health)
environment.
e NFPA 1710 - Standard for Career Fire Departments
NFPA 1710 sets standards for the organization and deployment of fire suppression
operations, emergency medical operations, and special operations provided by career
fire departments.
e NFPA 1720- Standard for Volunteer Fire Departments
NFPA 1720 outlines similar standards tailored for volunteer fire departments, focusing
on deployment expectations based on community demographics.
Neither OSHA nor NFPA directly prescribes exact staffing levels for fire departments, However:
19

OSHA influences staffing indirectly by establishing mandatory safety standards, including
equipment, working conditions, and training requirements.
NFPA affects staffing through its emphasis on response times and the minimum number
of personnel required based on population density.
For example, NFPA 1720 sets the following staffing guidelines:
Rural areas (population density of 500 or fewer people per square mile): A minimum of
six personnel should respond within 14 minutes or less for 80% of incidents.
Suburban areas (population density between 500 and 1,000 people per square mile): A
minimum of 10 personnel should respond within 10 minutes or less for 80% of incidents.
The Town of Waterford contains both Rural and Suburban areas, meaning it must plan
accordingly to meet both standards.
in addition to the regulatory standards and guidelines outlined above, fire department staffing
is determined by a combination of critical factors:
Community Needs: Including call volume, types of emergencies encountered, and
population density.
Budgetary Constraints: Municipal governments operate within limited financial
resources, primarily based on tax revenues.
Risk Assessment: Considering the hazardous nature of buildings, presence of industrial
facilities, building sizes, and related factors.
Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ): The individual, office, or organization empowered to
make and enforce regulations affecting fire services (e.g., fire marshal, building official,
or other regulatory authority).
In the Town of Waterford, the Authority Having Jurisdiction is the Waterford Fire Department.
Staffing Determination Process;
The exact determination of appropriate staffing levels is a multi-faceted exercise. It requires
balancing objective data, expert judgment, and available financial resources,
Objective Data:
The importance of data collection, trending, and reporting—as depicted in Figures 6-11
cannot be overstated. This data serves as a key indicator of departmental performance
and represents the only consistently quantifiable, objective factor available for
evaluating staffing evaluationallocation.
20

« Subject Matter Expertise:
Local fire service experts, notably the Director of Fire Services and his team of
experienced professionals, play a vital role in assessing staffing needs based on
operational demands and evolving community risks.
« Municipal Leadership and Financial Oversight:
The Town’s Chief Executive (First Selectman), along with the Board of Selectmen (BOS),
Board of Finance (BOF), and Representative Town Meeting {RTM}, are responsible for
reviewing staffing recommendations, balancing financial realities, and ensuring that fire
service funding decisions align with the broader public safety interests of Waterford
residents and businesses.
5.4 Fleet Management Findings
Waterford’s Fire Services maintains a substantial fleet of emergency vehicles—currently 26 in
tetalservice with another new vehicle arriving soon—primarily designed to support fire
suppression operations. This fleet includes:
« Fire engines
e Ladder trucks
« Specialized apparatus
« Support vehicles
A detailed inventory and status assessment of the fleet is provided in Table 3 and the Appendix
[on
21

Years |Replacement /|
Fleet | Town | Model S-Year Total | of Refurbishment]
Assetip.{ Assetto | Year 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 Mileage ij Hours | Repair Cost_|Service] Palat System
W-S4 101405 : 30,589 2461 $37,991 9 16
W-53 : $ 31,500 10449 1419 § 2,943 16 16
W-55 $ 2,200,000 41812 4816 $ 132,074: 24 28
W-5S6 $ 73,000 54224 $ 4,925; 14 18
W-57 2512 1$ 40,740, 35 18
W216 22833 1180 6 $ : 7 6
car 175 35500 $ 1250: 7 13
car 58 $84,000 117000 $ 2,489. 12 24
car 85 $ 64,000 : 118000 § 3,001: 9 20
New - $ 65,000 ° :
W314 16669 1539 ©$ 25,046) 12 13
W-32 39230 4295 § 49,062: 27 33
w-34 i 9183 yon 8 2,778) 13 14
W-36, $ __ 74,000 53206 2355 8 28619! 18 25
W-93 1139 1028 $25,601 18 2
w.94 218 20
Wed 38156 3287 $ 50574. 1k 18
W-15 32844 2866 S$ 66,333: 9 16
W-44 9105: a22 $9047 8
W-42 43720 4831 $61,882) 18 25
W-43 $ 226,206 12834 1294 $ (13,930; 19 20
W-46 - 15127 566 $ B40 8 5
W-24 $925,000 35488 3503 § 89,406 19 26
W-23 8374 1329 $45,545: 19 20
W-25 : 7808 1075 $24,603: 7 rel
A19 $ 72,000 5ag00 3373 $ 6,232 19
W-26 2150 2
$64,000. $ 2,563,206 $ 241,000 1$ 956,500 :
| $27,823.54 Average 5-Yr Repair Cost per Vehicle
$667,765.00 ‘Total 5-Yr Cost
$133,553.00 ‘Average Cost Per Year
Table 3- Summary of Fleet Maintenance and Capital Acquisition Costs
As fire suppression now represents only a small percentage of emergency call responses,
Waterford’s current fleet, geared heavily toward traditional firefighting, may warrant strategic
realignment over time to better match the evolving mission of an Emergency Services or First
Responder organization.
Regardless of future adjustments, effective fleet management today remains essential to
ensure the reliability, safety, and fiscal responsibility of this critical public asset.
Using Fleetio Software: A Modernized Approach to Fleet Management
To optimize fleet performance, Waterford utilizes Fleetio, a modern fleet management
software platform designed specifically to:
Track vehicle condition and maintenance
Monitor vehicle utilization
Manage repair records and costs
Improve budgeting and forecasting accuracy
Support asset replacement planning
22

Fleetio provides real-time, centralized data that allows the Fire Services leadership, Town
executive staff, and financial officials tao make data-driven decisions about asset maintenance,
replacement, and allocation. :
This technology represents a significant advantage for Waterford, enabling the Town to extend
the useful life of its vehicles, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen long-term financial
planning.
Existing Town Resources: Building a Collaborative Maintenance Model
In addition to Fleetio, Waterford has internal resources that can be leveraged for fleet
management efficiency:
¢ Department of Public Works: Potential to expand the use of Public Works mechanics
and facilities for standard maintenance tasks, achieving economies of scale.
e Shared Procurement: By coordinating purchases of routine parts, supplies, and service
contracts across departments, the Town can further control costs.
e Cross-Departmental Asset Review: Collaboration between Fire Services, Public Works,
and the Finance Department can ensure objective evaluations of fleet needs, promoting
smarter capital investments.
A central component of this effort is the use of a maintenance score, a too! designed to evaluate
the operational integrity of each vehicle. This scoring system assists in proactive planning for
maintenance needs, scheduling repairs, and determining appropriate timelines for vehicle
replacement.
5.5 Communications Findings-
The Town purchased new pagers for the volunteers, and the Town is in the process of
transitioning to the state radio system to replace the current one, Appendix D is a letter
provided by the Director of Emergency Services summarizing the state of emergency
communications in the Town of Waterford. In short, plans laid in place years ago are being
fulfilled to the Director’s satisfaction.
5.6 Waterford Ambulance Findings-
Waterford Ambulance is a private contractor operating out of its privatebewnec-own
building located at 454 Boston Post Road. They operate all their ambulances out of this one
location, providing one ambulance serving Waterford 24 hours a day-Aned and one-another
23

ambulance for 16 hours from 08:00 a.m. -86-66to midnight. Waterford Ambulance is a
private contractor whose employees are not employed by the town of Waterford. The
Waterford ambulance service pays Waterford an annual fee for using our radios, radio
system, and dispatching services.
The extent to which the Town will enter into providing ambulance service via Fire Services is a
TBD topic for the future to be assessed by the new Fire Services Director, Emergency Services
Director and appropriate decision-makers.
5.7 Mutual Aid Findings
Mutual aid refers to a formalized agreement between neighboring fire departments and
Waterford emergency services to assist one another during incidents that exceed the
immediate capacity of a single department.
In practical terms, mutual aid means that if Waterford’s Fire Services are fully engaged in an
incident—or if a particular incident demands specialized resources or additional manpower—
neighboring towns such as New London, East Lyme, Montville, or others can be requested to
assist. Similarly, Waterford is obligated, when obligated, to respond to aid requests from
neighboring communities when called upon.
Mutual aid covers a wide range of situations, including but not limited to:
e Structure fires
e Hazardous material (HAZMAT) incidents
e Major vehicle accidents
e Emergency medical situations
e Natural disasters and severe weather emergencies
e Large-scale public safety events (e.g., mass casualty incidents)
Lega! Basis and Responsibilities
Mutual aid arrangements are typically codified in formal agreements or memoranda of
understanding (MOUs) between municipalities. These agreements clarify roles, expectations,
operational procedures, and financial responsibilities when one jurisdiction assists another.
In the case of Waterford:
e The Town has entered into mutual aid agreements that bind Waterford legally to
provide reasonable assistance when requested.
e Assistance must be provided to the extent possible without compromising Waterford’s
own public safety obligations.
e Waterford retains discretion—typically via the Fire Services Director or Chief Officer on
duty—to determine the level of aid that can be safely offered without endangering its
own residents.
24

Key Legal Considerations:
1.
Duty to Provide Aid Once Dispatched
Once Waterford dispatches resources under a mutual aid request, there is a legal and
operational expectation that those resources will perform professionally and safely
under the requesting jurisdiction’s incident command structure.
Risk to Waterford’s Assets
When Town personnel, vehicles, or equipment are sent outside of Waterford’s
jurisdiction, the Town assumes certain fiabilities and risks, including:
o Potential damage to equipment
o Potential injury to personnel
o Potential exposure to legal claims (though many agreements include
indemnification clauses)
Workers' Compensation and Insurance Coverage
Firefighters, whether paid or volunteer, remain covered under Waterford’s workers’
compensation insurance while operating under mutual aid, ensuring protection in the
event of injury or death while assisting another community.
Cost Recovery (Rare but Possible)
Generally, mutual aid is provided without direct financial compensation. However, in
certain extraordinary situations (especially extended deployments}, Waterford may
have the right to seek reimbursement for extraordinary costs under disaster
declarations (e.g., FEMA reimbursements after federally declared emergencies).
Right of Refusal Based on Capacity
Importantly, mutual aid agreements do not require a town to endanger itself to aid
another. If Waterford’s available resources are insufficient to safely respond to both
local needs and a mutual aid request, the Fire Director (or highest-ranking officer) has
the legal and ethical duty to prioritize allocation of the Town’s Fire Service resources.
What Mutual Aid Is Not
Mutual aid is not a replacement for adequate staffing and equipping Waterford’s own
fire and emergency services.
Mutual aid is not guaranteed: other towns might not be available at critical times,
especially during widespread regional emergencies (e.g., hurricanes, major storms).
Mutual aid does not absolve Waterford of its primary legal responsibility to
independently and adequately protect its residents
Strategic Importance for Waterford
Given the Town’s legal obligations and operational realities, mutual aid should be understood
as:
A valuable supplemental tool, not a core component of service delivery.
25

* Asafety net for rare, high-demand incidents, not a routine staffing solution.
e An obligation of reciprocity, means that Waterford must be equally prepared to both
request and provide aid without compromising its own community’s safety.
As Waterford continues to modernize its fire services and evolve toward a combination
department structure, mutual aid will remain critical—but it must be managed wisely, with full
recognition of its benefits, limitations, and legal responsibilities.
6.0 Five Fire Stations - History and Structure of Waterford's Fire Stations
As referenced earlier, Waterford has a long-standing tradition of volunteer fire service, dating
back to the early 20th century. The Town’s five volunteer fire stations emerged as a direct
response to growing local needs, with each station strategically located in areas experiencing
population development. Notably, all five stations were constructed by volunteers, using funds
they independently raised.
To formalize and distribute responsibilities, a series of fire districts were created, providing an
organized framework for managing the growing fire services system.
Since 1942, Waterford has maintained five fire stations, all incorporated within a span of 19
years. These five stations remain operational today.
Waterford’s population continues to grow steadily, and the current infrastructure of fire
stations remains largely supportive of existing development patterns. According to the most
recent census, Waterford’s population stands at 19,554.
While census projections suggest the population may stabilize or even decline slightly in the
future, recent development activity—as illustrated in Table 2—indicates the potential for
continued population growth, which could influence future demand for fire services.
Waterford’s proud tradition of volunteer fire service has evolved over decades to meet the
needs of a growing and changing community. Originally founded around local volunteer efforts,
the Town’s five fire stations—established through a-historic, mutually beneficial agreements
(Appendix £)—provided critical coverage and protection. This agreement, whereby volunteers
deliver fire protection services in exchange for the Town maintaining stations and funding,
equipment,;_and training, remains foundational today, granting Waterford access to a network
of five strategically located stations.
As Waterford grows, the Town has a unique opportunity to honor its rich legacy while
thoughtfully planning the next generation of emergency services—services designed not only
for today’s challenges but for tomorrow’s vision.
26

While census projections suggest that Waterford’s overall population (currently 19,554) may
remain stable or decline slightly, other trends paint a more dynamic picture:
« Growth in the Senior Population:
An increasing proportion of older residents will drive greater demand for emergency
medical services.
* Recent Development Activity (Table 2):
Despite breacder more modest population forecasts, recent residential and commercial
building activity suggests a blossoming slowly growing population.
« Town Size and Diversity:
Spanning 37 square miles, Waterford features a challenging mix of rural, suburban, and
commercial properties, each requiring thoughtful, responsive fire and emergency service
coverage.
Several factors are shaping the evolving mission of Waterford’s Fire Services:
« Significant Commercial Entities:
o Dominion Energy's Nuclear Power facility
o The proposed Data Center
o The Crystal Mall complex
These assets represent critical infrastructure requiring specialized response
capabilities.
« Changing Building Patterns:
Newer construction often features:
o Higher population densities
o Multi-story structures
o Fire-resistant materials
These improvements enhance safety but also introduce new challenges, such as
greater exposure to hazardous synthetic materials in fires.
« Expanded Scope of Emergency Responses:
Fadayln recent years, structural-structure fires have represent-represented a small
fraction of calls. Firefighters are now routinely responding to:
o Hazardous material incidents
o Severe weather events
o Service calls
27

o Medical emergencies
o False alarms
Distribution of Service:
Analysis of call data indicates that emergency call volume is distributed across the Town,
reinforcing the eritieatvalueimportance of maintaining all five fire stations.
6.1 Why Having Five Stations Matters
Maintaining a five-station model continues to provide tangible, town-wide benefits:
1.
Good Response Times
The current station locations enable fast, reliable service delivery in alignment with
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards.
Volunteer Retention
Reducing or closing stations could diminish volunteer participation and necessitate more
career staff, increasing costs.
Strategic Coverage
Stations are located near high-density neighborhoods and key assets such as the Crystal
Mall, Dominion Nuclear Power Station, Interstate 95, Interstate 395, Route 85 and
Waterford’s schools, Town Hall, Community Center, Beaches, Niantic River, and the
Thames River all spread over 37 square miles.
Cost effective Insurance Rates and ISO Ratings
Maintaining five stations helps preserve Waterford’s favorable Insurance Services Office
(ISO) rating, protecting residents from higher insurance premiums.
Resiliency and Emergency Sheltering
Each station provides a eritical-free accessible, safe location for residents sheltering
during townwide emergencies and supports Waterford’s integrated Task Force
emergency management approach.
Infrastructure Readiness
Except for Oswegatchie (which the RTM has determined requires replacement), the
other stations are maintainable through repair_or renovation.
Emergency Operations
As Waterford’s Fire Services evolve into a broader Emergency Services Organization,
28

each station will play a key role in housing resources, personnel, and shelter facilities
across the community.
8. A Proven, Successful Model
The five-station approach has effectively served Waterford for over 100 years—providing
life-saving protection, community reassurance, and continuity.
Looking Forward: Waterford’s Vision for Emergency Services
As Waterford embraces the future, its fire serviees-service must continue to evolve and
potentially grow into a modern Emergency Services and First Responder Organization, ready to
address a broader range of public safety needs. As noted earlier, such a change may warrant
ordinance revisions and a charter update. A suitable name could be Waterford Fire and Rescue.
Key elements of this future vision should include:
e Investing smartly in facility upgrades, apparatus modernization, and training.
e Expanding partnerships with local and regional agencies.
¢ Applying for grants (such as SAFER grants) to enhance staffing and resilience.
* Adapting tactics to meet the challenges of changing construction patterns, population
shifts, and evolving threats.
By recognizing the value of its current infrastructure and proactively planning for the future,
Waterford is charting an exciting and responsible course—one that builds on its proud past
while preparing for a bright, resilient and nimble future.
The future of Waterford’s fire services is not about standing still. It’s about growing, adapting,
and leading—and the Town is-with careful planning can be ready to meet the responsibilities it
will face in the future.
6.2 The Case for a New Oswegatchie Fire S