Milford, chiefs press committee for law to let towns recoup training costs when firefighters leave

Milford officials and representatives of Connecticut fire organizations pressed the Public Safety and Security Committee Tuesday for passage of House Bill 7199, which would let municipal fire departments recover a portion of the expense they invest in training newly hired firefighters who leave for other departments shortly after certification.

Fire Chief Anthony Fabrizi of Milford told the committee that the department invests roughly $95,000 in a single new hire in the first year when recruitment, testing, background checks, medicals, uniforms, turnout gear, Connecticut Fire Academy tuition and overtime for coverage are included. He and others asked lawmakers to mirror an existing law that lets police departments recoup 50% of certain training costs when officers depart within two years.

Nut Graf: Milford and many other Connecticut towns say recruitment and retention of firefighters has become more difficult and that the growth in lateral hiring — where certified firefighters move between municipalities without repeating Connecticut Fire Academy training — leaves sending departments bearing large unrecoverable costs. The bill would require a receiving municipality to reimburse a portion of the original department’s investment when a firefighter leaves within a short window.

Chief Fabrizi and union and fire‑service witnesses described multiple causes for turnover, including salary, pension differences, and generational expectations. Milford’s chief said certifications follow firefighters, so a newly certified firefighter becomes more marketable to other departments and may transfer without any mechanism for the sending town to recover the investment. Several lawmakers, including Representative Kathy Kennedy, stressed the proposal is not meant to be punitive but to ‘‘level the playing field’’ for smaller or less well‑resourced departments.

Questions from legislators focused on enforceability and unintended consequences. Representative Howard asked how a reimbursement requirement would be enforced and whether it might restrict a firefighter’s mobility. Milford officials responded that the receiving department would be required to reimburse and that many departments already process payroll and could handle the payment. Departing firefighters keep their state certification; the bill targets the receiving municipality’s obligation to reimburse the sending municipality, not the firefighter.

Ending: Fire chiefs and associations told the committee the proposal would help municipalities absorb recruitment costs and reduce the fiscal shock when trained personnel depart. Committee members asked technical questions about contract language and enforcement; no vote was taken Tuesday.