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Volunteer fire department warns of shrinking volunteer base and long apparatus lead times
Summary
Avon Volunteer Fire Department leadership and the Board of Finance cited pressures from rising costs and declining volunteers; officials said lead times for fire apparatus now run 18–24 months and new tankers are costly.
Jaime DiPace, president of the Avon Volunteer Fire Department and a long‑time member, told the hearing that volunteers are declining even as expectations and fundraising demands rise and thanked the town for support. He noted training commitments and the need for community assistance to sustain volunteer staffing.
Board of Finance Chair Houston Putnam Lowry added manufacturing context and cost pressures: "The lead time is 18 to 24 months to get a fire truck, and they're also tremendously more expensive because you don't have 20 people in the field manufacturing fire trucks, you only have one or two." The capital plan includes a request for a Fire Apparatus (Tanker 20) at $370,000 in the proposed capital budget and notes that some equipment lead times and higher costs influence scheduling and funding decisions.
