Norwalk Fire Department reports steady call volume, 12 vacancies and plans to add lateral hires

Assistant Chief McCabe told the Fire Commission on March 18 that the department responded to 609 incidents in February, averaging just under 22 calls per day. That month included 10 fires, 39 rescues (37 motor vehicle incidents), 381 EMS calls, 30 hazardous conditions, 17 service calls, 104 fire-alarm responses and 28 good-intent calls. Year-to-date totals from Jan. 1 to Feb. 28 were 1,282 incidents and 2,065 responses, both slightly higher than the same period in 2024.

McCabe said the department currently has about 12 firefighter vacancies. The first round of interviews for lateral hires has been completed and commission interviews are scheduled for March 25. Lateral hires are certified firefighters who transfer in from other departments; the department said this can save time and some training costs because candidates already certified by a fire academy do not need to wait for the local academy cycle. The fire academy cost was stated as about $10,000 per recruit.

Two new Ford Explorer staff vehicles have been delivered to replace older vehicles with more than 120,000 miles. A new extended-cab Ford pickup (Car 2) intended as an upfitted shift commander mobile command post is ready to be outfitted with lights, radio and computers.

McCabe also said updated standard operating procedures for rescue and truck personnel have been issued to optimize roles at structure fires and will be followed by company training. The department is scheduling additional recruit and promotional exams and planning area familiarizations for the new Norwalk High School construction project.

No formal hiring decisions were taken at the meeting; the commission will participate in scheduled candidate interviews.