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Firefighters urge updating 1904 fire-warden rules and pilot grants for technical-rescue teams
Summary
Fire-service leaders told the Government Operations & Military Affairs committee that century-old rules leave many town fire wardens without incident-command training; they urged designating local fire chiefs as wardens and proposed a pilot $25,000 microgrant program to equip and train technical-rescue teams.
Fire-service leaders urged the Government Operations & Military Affairs committee to modernize an approximately 1904-era rule that governs local fire wardens and to create a small, targeted grant program to sustain technical-rescue teams.
"Make the fire chief the warden," said Dean Gilmore, a past assistant chief of the New Haven Volunteer Fire Department and a Vermont State Firefighters Association executive-board member, arguing that many town-appointed wardens lack the training to manage incidents, issue permits wisely or submit accurate reports. Gilmore said aligning the warden role with the local fire chief would improve incident command and public education and likely yield more reliable data for Forests and Parks.
David Yazzie, who spoke "for the record" as a leader in the fire service, echoed that concern and described cross-jurisdiction challenges where a town without a local department can authorize permits while another department is already committed to an incident. Yazzie said the proposed rule changes would clarify lines of authority and improve communication when state assets are deployed.
Yazzie also pressed for a microgrant program to support local technical-rescue capacity — water, rope, trench, ice and other specialized rescues that typically exceed basic firefighter training. He proposed an initial statewide ask of $25,000 per year, with awards of about $5,000 to individual teams and a pilot cap of roughly five awards annually. "For us, $5,000 is really changing," Yazzie said, noting the cost of certification and specialized equipment.
Committee members questioned the size of the request and the grant governance structure. Proponents said $25,000 was a conservative, strategic pilot figure intended to make the request achievable while allowing the program to scale if successful. They agreed to provide the committee a written request and draft bill language, and to outline proposed grant-committee membership to ensure awards reach teams that actually respond statewide.
No formal action or vote was taken during the testimony; committee members asked witnesses for follow-up documents to support budget-memo and bill-drafting work. The committee paused afterward to review documents and prepare for the next agenda segment.
Next steps: Witnesses committed to deliver a written request, draft bill language, and recommended grant-committee membership for staff review and potential inclusion in the emergency-management omnibus vehicle.
