Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee hears staffing blueprint, including automatic-aid proposals and push to fund Deputy Chief
Summary
Tim Condon presented a detailed staffing model recommending automatic-aid agreements, station-specific staffing levels, promotion of lieutenants and funding for a Deputy Chief; the committee debated whether to issue a letter supporting an OSW station before finalizing the report.
At the June 25 meeting, Tim Condon (RTM) presented a written staffing model urging Waterford to formalize automatic-aid agreements with neighboring municipalities and to adopt station-level staffing changes. Condon said the Quaker Hill region’s travel-time isolation requires dedicated coverage and recommended automatic-aid agreements with New London, East Lyme and Montville, and a policy that no paid firefighter work alone.
Condon proposed promoting three lieutenants to be quartered at the Cohanzie Station, staffing Cohanzie and Jordan with three personnel each (a mix of firefighters and officers), staffing Quaker Hill with two 24/7 part-time firefighters, and staffing Oswegatchie initially with two full-time firefighters after construction with a future goal of three. He also urged the Town to fund a Deputy Chief position and asked the director to explore hiring a department mechanic to reduce third-party maintenance costs.
Richard Muckle (Board of Selectmen) pressed the committee to complete its final report so funding for a new Oswegatchie (OSW) station can move forward; Coleman members debated whether to send an interim letter to the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) recommending funding for the OSW station or finish the committee’s final report first. Director Chris Haley said staffing is the department’s immediate need; members including Susan Driscoll and Tim Condon argued the committee must provide a comprehensive, documented set of recommendations to drive ordinances and funding decisions.
No formal votes were taken on Condon’s staffing proposals at the meeting; members agreed to circulate a revised draft of the committee report incorporating comments from Ronnie Williams and Steven Sinagra before the next meeting.
