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Fire Chief and Fire Marshal report routine operations, apply for Westbrook Foundation grant
Summary
At its March 19 meeting the Westbrook Board of Fire Commissioners heard department updates: recent calls were mostly medical, the department applied to the Westbrook Foundation to upgrade fire-boat electronics, staff proposed a voluntary $10,000 cut for next fiscal year to buy heavy-lifting struts, and the Fire Marshal is transitioning inspection software to ESO.
The Westbrook Board of Fire Commissioners received operational and administrative updates from the Fire Chief and the Fire Marshal at its March 19, 2026 meeting.
The Fire Chief reported that recent emergency calls have been primarily medical and that several members are on administrative leave. The Chief said weekly training for junior members continues in Clinton with neighboring departments and described an equipment status update: one truck was sent out for new tires and an engine sustained minor damage from a snow bank, which staff characterized as "nothing dire." The Chief said inventory reports show no immediate concerns and promised a more detailed inventory report in October.
On budgeting and capital needs, the Fire Chief told the board the current fiscal-year budget shows no concerns. The department has approved boat-motor replacements under the capital budget and has applied to the Westbrook Foundation for a grant to update electronics on the fire boat. For the next fiscal year the department voluntarily proposed a $10,000 reduction in its budget to free funds to buy struts intended to support lifting larger items or vehicles such as 18-wheelers.
The Fire Marshal reported recent inspections at Safe Harbor Marina, Oxford Academy and 4 Pequot Medical, along with numerous assembly-occupancy inspections (restaurants and similar). The Marshal said there were no major fire incidents to report, only isolated vehicle fires and stove-related small fires, and several small projects were reviewed and permitted with the Building Official.
The Marshal also said the office's current inspection software license expires in May and staff are working to implement ESO for Fire Marshal operations; ESO training with Old Saybrook is scheduled. The Marshal reported no over-expenditures in the current fiscal year and said the next fiscal-year budget was submitted and approved with no changes; it is now awaiting the town's review and vote.
Why it matters: the updates indicate routine operations with targeted capital and software investments that the board must track through the town review and grant-approval processes. The application to the Westbrook Foundation and the planned equipment purchase (struts) are concrete steps that could affect response capabilities for larger-vehicle incidents.
The board took no separate formal vote on the grant application or the proposed budget reduction at the meeting; those items will proceed through the usual review channels.
