Waterford moves to add assistant chief, expand full‑time staffing as department consolidates

Chris, leading the town’s consolidated fire services, presented a $4,345,218 FY27 request and framed it as a transition from legacy volunteer-company structures to a unified municipal department. The package includes first-time funding for an assistant‑chief slot and adds three additional full‑time firefighters (net increase after internal promotions), moving staffing toward a target of eight firefighters per platoon (24 total across three platoons).

Chris said overtime lines rose sharply — reflecting replacement coverage, a sliding FLSA schedule for firefighters, and regular scheduled overtime built into shifts — and that the department is implementing scheduling and tracking improvements so overtime drivers can be understood and managed. He stressed that hiring and training are long-term structural investments rather than short-term fixes.

Members asked about the department’s coordination with the local ambulance provider; Chris and other officials said Waterford Ambulance Service is an independent nonprofit that operates under a service agreement with the town. Fire leadership said municipal firefighters provide first-responder care and that the town’s EMS/transport coverage model remains collaborative. The board discussed potential impacts of significant private development (cited as thousands of new daytime employees at an Electric Boat site) on service demand and the need to model that growth.

The fire-services budget was approved by voice vote; the department will continue to refine internal scheduling, overtime tracking, and long-range staffing plans, and will examine station-alerting and dispatch improvements as funding opportunities allow.