ARPA committee approves deposit for Forged in Fire trailer build and training invoices for three firehouses

The West Haven ARPA Committee approved a $23,900 deposit to Forged in Fire Company to begin construction of a custom roof‑cutting training structure mounted on a trailer and approved two training invoices for Flash Fire that together total roughly $54,000 for training across three firehouses.

Committee members said Forged in Fire would not begin fabrication without a deposit, and staff obtained references from other municipalities before bringing the deposit request to the committee (packet pages 84–90). The chair said he contacted references and received positive responses. The committee voted to approve the unusual deposit by voice vote.

Separately, two Flash Fire invoices — one for $30,000 and one for $24,000 as listed in the packet — were approved; staff said the vendor had satisfied insurance, licensing and federal identification requirements before invoicing. Committee members clarified that the Flash Fire invoices cover additional training sessions and differ from earlier capital purchases (a prior structure that remained with a firehouse). A committee member noted the detailed contract for training was approved earlier in the process; the current items were invoices for completed work.

Why it matters: The deposit and training invoices support firefighter training and specialized equipment that will be used across West Haven firehouses. Committee members emphasized vetting vendors and verifying references and compliance before authorizing payment.

Next steps: Staff will process the deposit and training payments and maintain documentation of vendor references and compliance for committee records and ARPA reporting.