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Commission hears training reimbursement shortfall and staffing delays
Summary
Administrator Morissette told the commission the state has processed $57,000 of $140,000 in distressed‑community training reimbursements and flagged delays in approving part‑time instructor hires; commissioners urged outreach to nonresponding departments.
Administrator Morissette told the Connecticut Fire Service Commission that reimbursements intended for entry‑level firefighter training are lagging. “To date, we’ve processed reimbursements totaling $57,000 out of the $140,000 so far,” Morissette said, and added that 34 Firefighter I reimbursements totaling $42,968 and 15 Firefighter II reimbursements have been processed.
Morissette said many communities have not replied to the agency’s request for information and urged commissioners to help spread the word; staff offered to provide a response summary after the meeting. She also briefed the panel on staffing: 19 part‑time instructor refills remain pending and an incremental plan to add 25 additional instructors is awaiting internal approval, possibly not finalized until after the July 1 fiscal start. “It’s possible that that may not occur until after the new fiscal year,” Morissette said, warning that delayed approvals could hamper readiness for the recruit program scheduled to start August 30.
Director Norwood, speaking separately about academy operations, said Recruit Class 77 is in week 11 with 35 recruits remaining and noted a graduation scheduled May 20 at 1:30 p.m. at First Cathedral in Bloomfield. Norwood said the 2026 training calendar is at capacity and that summer cadet programming will field about 64 cadets across two classes.
Commissioners asked for follow‑up: who has not responded to reimbursement requests, and whether remaining instructor hires could be expedited. The commission did not make a formal directive at the meeting but staff said they will circulate lists and continue outreach. The chair encouraged commissioners to help contacts in their regions respond before the fiscal year closes.
The next procedural step is staff providing the commission with a summary of responding and nonresponding communities and an update on the hiring approvals.
