Fire department seeks $4 million for Station 4 renovation, nearly $2.9 million for ladder truck and other apparatus; SCBA replacement phased

Norwalk Fire Department officials told the Public Safety and General Governments Committee on Feb. 27 they have seven capital projects in the department’s request, led by a $4 million request to renovate and expand Station 4 on Westport Avenue and a $2.9 million request to replace a 2009 ladder truck.

Chief Gatto described the Station 4 project as an addition, renovation and realignment to enable the facility to house an eight-person crew and a ladder truck, improving initial on-scene tactics in a high-call district that covers Westport Avenue, Grumman Avenue and Newtown Avenue. He told the committee the department previously requested similar projects in earlier fiscal cycles (requests were cut in prior budgets) and that with a new cost analysis the current estimate is about $4,100,000; the department is requesting $4,000,000 this year and noted a possible $80,000 pump upgrade that could affect the total estimate.

On apparatus, Chief Gatto said the department is asking for a replacement ladder truck (model-year truck orders typically have long lead times), noting the current spare would move to surplus if the replacement arrives. Fire staff said manufacturer lead times for new apparatus can be up to four years; Chief Gatto and others emphasized that placing orders earlier can lock in price and secure a place on the production line. The ladder truck line item is presented at $2,900,000 and several committee members discussed procurement timing, bonding, and how the purchasing agent prefers funds to be allocated before contracting.

Staff also reviewed other capital requests: SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus) harness replacement as the final phase to comply with a new NFPA standard (the department already purchased new bottles with ARPA funds and completed regulator/facepiece replacement in an earlier phase); replacement of two Ford Escape deputy fire marshal vehicles with Ford Rangers to complete an 8-year vehicle rotation; replacement of a 1989 generator at the apparatus maintenance garage ($125,000); a $100,000 request to upgrade 10-year-old Emergency Operations Center (EOC) media equipment; and a $50,000 annual building-repair account for station maintenance (finance recommended all projects except the $50,000 building-repair line).

Committee members asked operational questions about staffing, district coverage and whether moving a ladder company would require additional hires; fire leaders said the plan redistributes existing personnel and equipment to improve response balance across districts and noted the department’s busiest districts would have more even coverage.

Chief Gatto also raised a recruitment and retention concern about finding qualified mechanics to service apparatus, saying he has been unable to recruit a diesel/fire mechanic for over a year and that wage parity with DPW hiring rules and private-sector pay rates has complicated recruitment. He asked the committee for help identifying qualified mechanics and said the department is competing with private employers who can offer higher pay or overtime.

No formal committee vote on the fire capital package was taken at the Feb. 27 meeting; the presentation was informational and intended to inform the budget process.