The Cheshire Town Council on Aug. 25 approved a $1.1 million appropriation to acquire a replacement fire engine, and several councilors used the debate to press for a concurrent, townwide inspection and maintenance program for the community’s fire hydrants.
Councilor Don Walsh proposed postponing the truck purchase to reallocate funds to hydrant maintenance; staff and other councilors said a separate pilot and maintenance program is already being prepared. Town staff described a pilot program that would exercise and inspect an initial set of hydrants (40 was discussed as the baseline, with town staff and councilors asking to expand that number), and staff said about $40,000 in earlier encumbered operating funds could support an expanded pilot while the council considers longer-term funding.
Councilors noted the Department of Public Utilities (RWA) involvement and the operational issue that the town has roughly 1,300 hydrants that have not had comprehensive inspections in many years. Several councilors said hydrant inspection and routine annual maintenance is recommended practice, and that hydrant repairs resulting from vehicle impacts have consumed replacement funds in past years. Fire‑department officials and staff emphasized that replacement scheduling for fire apparatus is lengthy (multi‑year lead times) and that continuing to delay truck replacement carries operational risk; after discussion the council approved the $1.1 million fire‑truck appropriation and also asked staff to accelerate hydrant inspection and maintenance planning.
Nut graf: The council balanced two public-safety priorities — apparatus replacement and hydrant readiness — by approving the engine purchase while directing staff to expand a hydrant‑inspection pilot into a broader maintenance program and to seek funding options so both needs are addressed.
Outcome: Motion to appropriate $1,100,000 for a fire engine passed unanimously; councilors recorded commitments in the meeting to pursue expanded hydrant inspections (pilot to begin quickly) and to consider operating or capital changes to fund ongoing hydrant maintenance.
Ending: Staff said the pilot contract was close to execution and that the town will report back with inspection results and recommendations for a scalable maintenance program.