Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mutual Aid topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Chief says mutual-aid reciprocity and long responses will be reevaluated after Southington request
Summary
Following a mutual-aid response to Southington, Chief Albert said he will reevaluate the reciprocity and cost-effectiveness of long mutual-aid calls that require 30–35 minute responses, citing overtime, fuel and wear on apparatus as concerns.
During the meeting's question-and-answer period, the chair asked whether the department's mutual-aid response to Southington should prompt concern about coverage and cost. Chief Albert said the mutual-aid agreement had been in place for years but was infrequently used and that he will reevaluate whether it remains cost-effective.
"Because us driving 30, 35 minutes to even get to a community, you know, what's the benefit there?" Chief Albert asked, noting the overtime, fuel costs and wear-and-tear of long out-of-service trips. He said the department must determine whether reciprocity exists and whether the arrangement provides tangible benefit to taxpayers before committing to frequent, long mutual-aid responses.
The chair thanked the chief; no immediate change to mutual-aid policy was adopted at the meeting, and the chief said he will follow up with departmental evaluation.
