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Windsor leaders hear fire department budget pressures and proposal for ladder-truck bond
Summary
Selectboard and Budget Committee reviewed the Windsor Fire & Ambulance budget Jan. 14, 2026, including equipment shelf-life under NFPA standards, training shortfalls, rising labor costs and a proposal to place a $500,000 bond on the ballot to purchase a ladder truck.
Town of Windsor Selectboard members and the Budget Committee spent the bulk of their Jan. 14 meeting on the Fire & Ambulance Department's budget needs, equipment replacement schedule and training requirements. Fire Chief K. McAllister told the boards that operating-budget figures between 2020 and 2025 changed by roughly $150,000 and that the overall department budget has increased by more than $300,000, which he attributed primarily to higher labor costs.
Chief McAllister reviewed National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards for equipment shelf life and identified multiple apparatus and tools approaching replacement. He emphasized grant-seeking to offset equipment purchases and urged an increase to the department's training line. T. Marsh proposed placing a half-million-dollar ($500,000) bond on a future ballot to fund a ladder truck; the board and Budget Committee discussed the idea but did not make a formal motion at the meeting.
