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Drakeville fire chief asks Torrington finance board to keep $60,000 volunteer line for stipend
Summary
Drakeville Volunteer Fire Department chief Tom Kalinowski asked the Board of Finance during public comment to allocate an existing $60,000 volunteer line to Drakeville for a FY 2025-26 stipend after another volunteer company closed.
Tom Kalinowski, chief of the Drakeville Volunteer Fire Department, told the Torrington Board of Finance on March 18 that Drakeville faces increased operational pressure after the closure of another volunteer fire department and asked the board to reserve an already-allocated $60,000 volunteer line for Drakevillestipends in FY2025-26.
"I am Tom Kalinowski. I'm the chief of Drakeville Volunteer Fire Department, and I'm here today to respectfully request that the $60,000 which is already allocated for the volunteer line item, be used for Drakeville's FY 2526 stipend," Kalinowski said during the public-comment portion of the board's meeting.
Why it matters: Kalinowski said Drakeville will bear the "brunt" of supplemental fire service for the city after another volunteer department closed, and that increased call volume and personnel growth have raised expenses for the department. He said the requested $60,000 represents roughly 1% of the city's total fire budget.
Context and follow-up - Kalinowski said the department plans to host an open house for Torrington public officials; the date was not yet determined. - Board members acknowledged the comment during the meeting but did not take formal action on the request during this session. - At the same meeting, board members discussed the recent closure of another volunteer fire department (Torrey Ford Volunteer Fire Department was mentioned in subcommittee discussion) and acknowledged the challenges volunteer organizations face when volunteers are not available.
What was said by the board Board members thanked Kalinowski for his remarks. During other agenda items, several board members and the mayor acknowledged the recent volunteer-department closure and urged the public to seek direct information from municipal leaders if they have questions about the financial or operational reasons behind closures.
Ending: Kalinowski said he would contact board members with the open-house date once it is set; no formal vote or commitment on the $60,000 request was recorded at the March 18 meeting.
