Fire department outlines FY26 operating and capital requests, cites aging air packs and apparatus

The Fire Chief presented the New Canaan Fire Department's FY26 operating and capital requests to the Board of Finance committee, saying the operating budget increase is driven largely by overtime and salaries and the capital package seeks replacement of aging self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and other apparatus.

The chief said the department responded to about 1,237 calls this year and reported 48 structure fires under United States Fire Administration reporting criteria. He said property and contents loss from incidents this year totaled about $600,000 and that the assessed value of buildings where crews took action was roughly $71,000,000; he added that about half of that assessed value was town-owned property, citing examples that included West School, Avalon and Millport.

The operating request includes a placeholder 2% line for anticipated contract negotiations and pay increases while the department continues to absorb overtime related to staffing vacancies and covering shifts. The chief told the committee "the operating budget came in at" the figure shown in his slides and emphasized that overtime and salary lines are the largest drivers of the department's operating costs.

On capital, the department listed a FY26 request of $664,500 that bundles equipment replacement and routine capital needs. The chief asked the town to be prepared to replace the department's SCBA set, which he said are 17 years old (departments typically replace SCBA at 10—15 years). He said the department applied for a FEMA Assistance to Firefighters grant; if awarded, the grant would cover most of the SCBA cost and the town's share would be reduced to a fraction of the total. The chief described the total SCBA program cost discussed in the presentation as $450,000 and said the town's outlay could be roughly 25% if the grant is awarded.

The chief also asked to move up replacement of a utility pickup currently in poor condition; the slide described a utility/pickup vehicle request (a decked 4-door truck with utility body and lift gate) priced in the presentation at about $105,000. He said Engine 2 is under contract for replacement and that a consultant from a manufacturer will inspect ladder and tanker apparatus this year to advise on refurbish vs. replace options. The chief warned that tanker frame rot from a prior water leak may require earlier action on that vehicle and noted risk that some modern fire apparatus may not fit current station bays.

Other capital items listed include personal protective equipment rotation (about seven sets of turnout gear per year on average), radio batteries and minor tools and equipment (gas meters, ventilation fans, thermal imagers) and periodic hose and rescue-tool replacement. The chief said training and preventive work remain priorities because inspection and planning reduce risk: he described ongoing preplanning for occupancies, life-safety inspections and adding information into the records management system to improve on-scene situational awareness.

Committee members asked about town-owned properties that had damage and whether the department could provide a list. The chief said he would bring a list of town properties that required responses and damage estimates to the presentation to the full Board of Finance. There were follow-up questions about vacancy-driven overtime, the 2% placeholder for contract talks and several line-item consolidations the chief made to clarify percentages on the spreadsheet.

The chief said the FY26 operating and capital requests will be presented to the Board of Finance on the scheduled date and then to the Board of Selectmen and Town Council in subsequent hearings.