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Norwalk Fire Commission reviews budget, mutual-aid arrangements and new equipment
Summary
At its November meeting, the Norwalk Fire Commission heard budget and operations updates from the fire chief, discussed service levels and potential cost-sharing with the Rowayton taxing district, and received reports on station renovations, new vehicles, donated smoke detectors and joint training exercises.
Mayor Harry Rilling called the Norwalk Fire Commission to order for its November 2025 meeting and the board approved the Oct. 21 minutes unanimously.
Fire Chief McCabe led the meeting’s substantive updates, telling commissioners the department is four months into the fiscal year and remains under budget on two major line items. "For the salary account, we have used 28.21% of the budget, putting us under by 5.12%. And for the overtime account, we've utilized 30.6%, putting us under by 2.73%," McCabe said. He added that "the grand total expenses, we are slightly over by 2.16%" and attributed that primarily to upfront costs such as software subscriptions and EMT compensation paid early in the year. McCabe also reported no current lost-time injuries for October.
Commissioners pressed McCabe on service levels in the Rowayton (District 6) taxing district after describing increased Norwalk responses there. The exchange focused on whether those services should be reflected in Rowayton property taxes or handled through mutual-aid arrangements. McCabe said Rowayton "is a separate taxing district" and that Rowayton's volunteers are supplemented differently; any change to reimbursement or taxation would require further discussion with the city.
Assistant Chief of Administration Kapte updated commissioners on capital projects and equipment: the Station 1 apparatus-floor replacement has been completed and permits are being closed, Station 4 is in the design phase with a construction manager selected from the department’s RFP and the department is "hoping to have a contractor and break ground by next summer," and a nearly citywide overhead-door replacement is almost finished. Kapte also said most SCBA equipment has been received and a small number of filling-station upgrades remain before full deployment.
Assistant Chief of Operations Reardon described recent operational additions and incidents. "We did accept delivery of a new tactical vehicle. We're calling it Tactical Rescue 2," he said, explaining the vehicle will support prolonged on-scene operations and will pair with a rescue vehicle expected in roughly a year. Reardon added that a new command vehicle with an upgraded command system should arrive imminently. He also reported seven recruits recently completed academy and orientation work and that marine unit training for Marine Unit 229 has continued for two months.
Reardon reviewed notable October incidents, including an apartment fire on Oct. 21 (referred to in the record as "A Hundred San Vincenzo Place") that was contained, a serious residential fire at 21 Fairfield Ave where crews rescued a victim who later died of injuries, mutual-aid support provided to New Canaan, and an extended basement fire in the Rowayton/Rowan area that required multiple engines and an incident commander.
Fire Marshal Donahue reported 306 property inspections in October (including six multi-site reviews covering 837 units), 25 plan reviews generating $2,350 in fees, three liquor-license renewals ($195), total revenue of $2,545 for the month, and 11 investigations (six fire-related, five code-hazard). He said the marshal’s office held 14 fire and life-safety public-education events and that deputy staff ran assemblies at multiple local schools.
Donahue also described recent community donations of smoke/CO detectors: he said Cansan Electric donated 20 ten-year lithium-ion combination smoke/CO units, and a pending donation was expected from KBE at 467 West Avenue.
Deputy Chief Roy Gagne outlined training activity, including a department-wide refresher for active-threat response and tactical emergency casualty care with police and EMS, tanker task-force training, planned spring evolutions, radio-communications adjustments to standard operating procedures, and upcoming roof-rope rescue training and an open fire and life-safety educator class.
Chief McCabe invited commissioners and the public to a swearing-in and promotion ceremony scheduled "next Tuesday the 25th at 02:30 PM at Fire Headquarters." With no further business, the commission unanimously approved a motion to adjourn at 03:30.
The commission is expected to reconvene next month; no formal policy changes or new ordinances were proposed or voted on during this meeting.
