Fire Services Review Special Committee - Minutes - 09/10/2025

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FIETREN ROPE TRARY ROAD
WATERPORD, CT 06385-2585
Fire Services Review Special Committee Minutes—Special Meeting Sept. 10, 2025
Members Present: Robert Tuneski (BoF); Susan Driscoll (RTM); Tim Condon (RTM Public Protection & Safety Comm.);
Matthew Keatley (RTM) Richard Muckle (BoS); Ronnie Williams (WFD); Chris Haley (Director, Fire Services);
Members Absent: Steven Sinagra (Director, Emergency Management), Todd Patton (Chief, Goshen Fire Co.);
Mark Greezkowski (WAS. Director of Operations)
1. Call to order: Chair Tuneski called the meeting to order at 5:32 p.m.
2. Public comment: None.
3. Previous Minutes: Motion by Muckle, second by Condon, to approve the July 9, 2025, minutes as presented.
Voice Vote: Unanimous.
4. Consideration of FSRSC’s charge from the RTM (6/7/21):
a. Review/discuss proposed “housekeeping” /edits to report submitted to RTM 7/23/25: Chair explained that the delayed
presentation to RTM afforded the opportunity to take another look at that Draft Full Report (#2, see July 9 minutes).
He used the time to clean up grammatical errors, typos, inaccurate job titles and dates; adjust color and shading
schemes in certain graphs and charts to improve legibility; and asked for additional input from Director Haley, which
resulted in some copy revisions. He tracked the new changes for our reference in the Draft #3/090725 sent with this
meeting’s agenda and offered to take us through all the changes.
Consensus of members to focus review on only the “substantial” changes—e.g., new or deleted content—rather than
grammatical, spelling, or color changes. Members had no concerns with most of the latest copy changes (highlighted in
yellow), but suggested some additional changes, to correct or delete some inaccuracies and clarify or update some
statements. Group consensus was on these new revisions:
¢ all references to original Charter and ordinance changes to fire services should be 2011, not 2010;
¢ remove pg 1 reference to a Paid Fireman ordinance (not part of the 2011 revisions, no similar provision in
current ordinances or the past 14 annual supplements);
® at the top of pg 3, change reference to copies of sources listed in bibliography being included in transmittal
of report to “included FSRSC minutes and agendas on town website”;
° onpg 4, last paragraph, remove “Town Fire Department with”;
¢ onpg 6, add sentence to first paragraph explaining the definition of “active” in relation to qualifying for
volunteer incentive payments;
© onpg 38, below the second set of bullets, delete statement about future town responsibility for current
salary and multiple pensions per firefighter; and
° onpeg 45, last paragraph, delete “The Fire Administrator.”
page 1of2

FSRSC Minutes: Sept. 10, 2025 page 2 of 2
b. Discuss process/potential action to deliver revised report to RTM: Condon and Driscall assured the Chair that, under
updated procedures, he did not need to provide the RTM with hard copies of ali documents utilized by the FSRSC.
Driscoll confirmed she would provide the cornmittee report requested by Atty Kepple at the Aug RTM meeting.
Condon and Driscoll explained that the RTM would be voting on acceptance of the report. If accepted as presented,
FSRSC would be disbandad. If not accepted, RTM would then decide on whether to direct FSRSC to revise the report
(with suggestions) or disband the current FSRSC and start anew in the term following election. Both emphasized they
were clarifying standard procedures.and had no predictions on the.RTM’s decision.
Discussion ensued.on the proper language for the motion on the report and its delivery, debate on whether including
a recommendation that “the RTM take na further action” was necessary, appropriate, or misleading since the report was
supposed to provide recommended actions. Final consensus was to utilize two separate motions, specify the version
number, and forsake the lengthy proposal that Muckle had relayed from Atty Kepple.
Motion by Muckle, second by Condon, to accept the changes as presented and as added during the review.
Voice vote: Unanimous. Motion passed.
Matian by Condon, second by Muckle, to authorize the Chair to deliver this “final” report, as amended on
Sept. 10, to the RTM.
Voice vote: Yes 4 No 1 (Driscoll} Motion passed.
Haley and Driscoll reminded the Chair that the cover page of the submitted report should be labelled “Draft” with the
version number and revision date. Once accepted by the RTM, those labels can be deleted, and the date of acceptance
should be added at the bottom.
5. Adjournment: Motion by Condon; second by Muckle, to adjourn at 6:12 p.m. Voice vote; Unanimous.
Submitted by
Susan Driscoll, FSRSC Secretary
enc: 9/10/25 Revisions to Report Draft #3

FSRSC Report Draft #3 Sep 10 edits Tuneski 9/12/25 7:23pm
1.0 Executive Summary
Firefighting has oceurred in Waterford from the earlies of Its. villages as more structure:
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 vears.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 2
Fire Commission under state statute, ordinance and eharter-Charter 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
fire service operation. in the early 2000s more and more discussion occurred about a larger
Town role in the management. of community fire services, culminating in 3-2010 change in *~
Waterford’s charter-Charter moving from the management of fire service by the Fire
Commission.to-alows Fira Nenartment supesvised-by-a Director of Fire AdministraterServices.
Serving as a department head in Town government, the fire
AdministeaterDirector works under
the daily supervision of the First Selectman as chief Chief executiveExecutive. A Pald 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 towa-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
aver 25 meetings within the Committee and with members af 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 ts 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 billen-dellars:

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 substantial portions
of Waterford’s rich and diverse Fire Services history.
The balance of information surveyed is listed in the bibliography and copies are included inthe
Committee’s transmittal to the RTM.
The process then;-that-the cormmittee-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
detetiorated 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
ehaiemanChairman, 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 Iilustrated Historv of Waterford-Connecticut, a bucket brigade was organized to
put out the Baptist minister's neigabors_neighbor’s house fire, and housewives used brooms to
put 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 of 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
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The Town is divided into 5-tive 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, Fach-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, fewitanylimited checks and balances, and no direct Jewn
accountabllity_ to the Town. But it was a step towards a more centralized organization to better
address Waterford needs.
The B Midi mmis joner: laced in 2010 by Charter revisior-Revision by a Jewn-
phe a pee ne ns re eaereP ced in y Crane sion DY
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, by-to the Director and ultimately the First Selectman of the
Town, as Chief Executive. It also centralized the budget creation and allocation pracess, The
eurrent-Director of Fire Services, per Town Ordinance, Is responsible for all fire service-related
functions including:
® Policy development and management
« Equipment; procurement and maintenance
® Hiring of paid firefighters _in association with the Human Resources Department

fire fighters as replacements to provide acceptable levels of fire service to the Town. Currently
there is an active fist of 30.volunteers, as characterized by respanding to at least one incident
annually, as reported In data provided by the nrevious Director of Fire Services. Some fire
departments stations have a more robust level of volunteer support while others are nearly at
| tisk of becoming non-functional and therefore in breach of the Agreement with the Town, due
a to their timited volunteer participation. ‘CA’ o Rd pe. Te RS oss, Jealed ’
ATIVE" TIE Yolen eae Mus7- Yee. WE TR hs ORD (AADC,
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. ah oh ek. Te pee’
Tie jnébayiv
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 goad.
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 exactsame 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 ail-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, aad-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
8

Staffing Plan
20
15
10
Full time firefighters
23-24 24-25 25526 26-27 27-28 28-29 29-30
Fiscal Year
«ome 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. A summary 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-Hoc-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
» Full-Time Staffing of Three Fire Stations
The Director receramends-recommended that three fire stations should be staffed full-
time with career (paid) firefighters:
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o A 24/48 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-provides- 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 identifesidentified four critical factors justifying the continued expansion of paid
staffing:
4. 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.
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in addition to the broader reasons supporting the five-station model, the following specific
points highlight why replacing the Oswegatchie Fire Station Is critical to Waterford’s future:
1. Strengthens Public Safety
« Anew OFS easures-ensures continued fire and emergency support for the Oswegatchie
Elementary School and surrounding neighborhoods.
« {tProvides-provides a modern, safe, and secure facility for housing part of the Town’s
paid firefighter workforce.
+ {t Creates-creates an ideal location for a future operational/educational hub command
eeaterfor Waterford’s growing team of career firefighters.
2. Supports the Town’s Vision for a Combination Fire Department
« Anew station Advances-advances Waterford’s transition toward a combination fire
services model, blending career firefighters and volunteer support—consistent with
national best practices and Waterford’s evolving needs.
» It Pesitiens-positions the Town for a stronger, more resiient-flexible fire service well into
the 21st century.
3. Enhances Recrultment and Retention
« Anew, state-of-the-art station will boost the recruitment and retention of both career
and volunteer firefighters.
« Amodern facility focused on firefighter safety, training, and well-being demonstrates
the Town’s serious commitment to public safety services.
4. Protects Waterford’s Long-Term Financial interests
e Repairing and renovating the existing station is not cost-effective according to the
Town's architect and construction project manager. The construction program manager
provided an estimate of $11.1 million to renovate the building as new, while a new
building could cost approximately $12.6 million, with contingencies and soft costs
included in each,
* Delaying construction would significantly escalate costs—potentially requiring $15-20
million within 7-10 years for new construction and interim repairs.
« Building the new station now is the fiscally responsible choice for taxpayers.
5. Continues a Century-Long Success Story
« Oswegatchie Fire Company has served Waterford from its current lacation for over 94
years.
« Maintaining a station at this location honors a proven, historic fire station model that
has effectively covers-protected all 37 square miles of the Town.
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Annual Costs, Waterford Fire Services
4,500,000
4,000,000
3,500,000
3,000,000
2,500,000
2,000,000
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
“4
¥
s > AS AG nf
Yo SY SY SY 8M 8
f
¥ & ros a & “
@ PERSONNEL SERVICES jm MATERIALS/SUPPLIES BIEQUIPMENT
Figure 13-Waterford Fire Services Annual Costs, 2012-2026
Today, while many stations remain crucial geographic and operational assets, they are no
longer community hubs filled with volunteers during downtime. Instead, they serve primarily as
deployment outposts for paid staffing and critical equipment.
Since the late 1990s, volunteer recruitment and retention have faced major challenges—
consistent with national trends. As volunteer numbers declined, Waterford responded
proactively by:
* Hiring part-time and full-time firefighters to maintain/improve service levels
e Strategically deploying full-time pald firefighters to Oswegatchie, Jordan, and Cohanzie
* Assigning part-time paid firefighters to Goshen and Quaker Hill
Today:
« Full-time paid staffing covers the Town’s busiest districts.
¢ Part-time staffing supports areas where volunteer activity has declined but where
service demands remain critical.
Deployment patterns reflect careful use of demographic, call volume, and risk data (see Figures
7-10), aligning staffing levels with service needs to ensure efficient and economical operations.
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8.2 Staffing: Strategic Management for Waterford Fire Services
Overview
Staffing Is consistently the most expensive elemant in the provision of fire services for any
municipality in Connecticut, including Waterford. Figure 13 depicts this fact.
These costs are driven by:
* Salaries for full-time and part-time personnel
« Health insurance, workers’ compensation, and related benefits
* Pension obligations (firefighters often retire after relatively-shortsometimes shorter
careers compared to other public employees)
» Ongoing municipal training requirements to maintain certifications, safety standards,
and operational readiness
Financial Impact of Staffing
Assuming a typical municipal fire service career trajectory:
¢ Average hiring age: 20~25 years
« Average retirement age: 50-55 years
« Average years of service: 20-25 years
EWS-PEASIONS- pe WE-HICHBALCRHEH aI CtOHAEH etre z. This underscores the long-
term budgetary impact staffing decisions have and highlights why municipal governments must
approach staffing planning with careful strategic consideration.
Challenges in Staffing Decisions
Determining appropriate staffing levels is highly complex, involving a blend of:
¢ Objective data: such as call volumes, response times, and mutual aid frequency
« Subjective factors: such as organizational culture, volunteer availability, and emerging
community risks
Both types of information must be analyzed continuously to adjust staffing models
appropriately over time.
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« Consider transitioning toward smaller, more flexible vehicles if Emergency Services
activities continue to dominate responses.
+ Consider rotatin, insureensure _ileage is uniformly distributed between
vehicles to minimize wear and tear and obtain better warranty.support.
d. Plan for Asset Replacement
» €stablish and adhere to an active service life policy of approximately 15-20 years for
major apparatus unless chronic maintenance issues suggest otherwise.
« Routinely retire and liquidate outdated or unnecessary vehicles, using sales proceeds to
offset new equipment purchases-keep orily those vehicles which are deemed necessary
based on contributions to current operations.
@. Buy Standardized Equipment
s Prioritize purchasing "off-the-shelf" apparatus where feasible, avoiding unnecessary
customization that adds cost without improving core functionality.
f. Strategically Position Assets
e Match vehicle deployment to population density, risk profile, and response data to
optimize readiness (e.g., assigning lighter, quicker vehicles to suburban or low-density
areas, retaining heavy apparatus in high-risk commercial zones).
Waterford’s investment in Fleetio software and its commitment to strategic asset management
positions the Town to:
» Improve emergency response readiness
« Extend the life of critical but costly apparatus
* Make smarter, data-informed budget decisions
» Strengthen overall operational efficiency
As Waterford’s Fire Services continues to evolve into a modern Emergency Services operation,
fleet management will be a key pillar of success—ensuring that both the community’s safety
and the taxpayers’ Investments are protected for the long term.
Waterford’s future is not just about owning more vehicles—it’s about owning the right vehicles,
maintaining them properly, and deploying them smartyeffectively.
8.6 Overall Strategic Plan
: forConsistent with the Fire Department Ordinance, the Director of Fire
Services and First Selectman shall annually monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of fire
services in Waterford and recommend appropriate revisions to departmental operations
including but not limited to staffing adjustments, policy changes and capital expenditures to
meet-the ongoing requirements of an evolving Hybrid- combination desartment. The respective
funding authorities (BOS, BOF, RTM) with input from the community. shall respond to these
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