Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Norwich residents denounce shutdown of Yantic volunteer fire company, demand restoration and transparency
Summary
Dozens of residents urged Norwich City Council to restore the Yantic Fire Engine Company and criticized city managers and the paid fire chief for removing apparatus without clear public justification; speakers cited safety, training, petitions and costs tied to overtime.
Dozens of residents told the Norwich City Council on Feb. 17 that the city’s recent decision to remove apparatus from the Yantic Fire Engine Company threatens neighborhood safety and disrespects a 179‑year volunteer tradition.
At a packed public comment session, speakers including Yantic volunteers, long‑time residents and former elected officials urged the council to restore the station’s trucks and return the company to service. Several speakers described the removal of apparatus as abrupt and urged the city to release the operational findings that prompted the action.
Why it matters: Public commenters said removing local apparatus will lengthen response times and increase costs because paid staff must cover gaps. Multiple speakers presented personal incidents where volunteer firefighters arrived first on…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
