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Fire chiefs and volunteers urge tax and benefits changes to halt volunteer decline
Summary
Volunteer firefighters and chiefs told the committee the volunteer ranks are shrinking, average active ages are rising and small stipend payments are taxed, which harms recruitment and retention; witnesses urged repeal of taxation on stipend checks, a new income-tax credit, and continuation of survivor health benefits for fallen volunteers and marshals.
Volunteer chiefs, fire officers and municipal representatives told the Public Safety and Security Committee that Connecticut’s volunteer fire corps is shrinking and that modest stipend payments are being eroded by state income tax, undermining recruitment and morale.
Captains and chiefs from small departments described dramatic long-term declines—departments that once had 80–100 volunteers now list 20 or fewer, with an active core often in the 50–60…
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