117-Year-Old South Meriden, CT, Volunteer Fire Department to be Deactivated

Liz Hardaway
Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
(TNS)

Aug. 7—MERIDEN — A 117-year legacy of volunteer firefighting will come to an end at the end of this year, as the city deactivates the South Meriden Volunteer Department, also known as Engine Company 6.

The department, located at 31 Camp St., was first founded in 1908 and will be celebrating its birthday in November, just ahead of its official closure on Dec. 31. The announcement has come after several years of declining enrollment.

Mayor Kevin Scarpati and Fire Chief Cristina Schoeck said at a news conference Thursday that there would be no change in response time for South Meriden residents, as a full-time engine company will remain at the station. The full-time company has been in place since 2019.

Currently, there are only five active members of the volunteer force.

"They are a small snapshot of the hundreds that have served our community in a volunteer capacity since 1908. For nearly 117 years, dedicated men and women across our community and beyond have volunteered their service for the sacrifice and safety of others," Scarpati said. "This is a time for us to reflect on all the great work, the lives that they have saved."

Scarpati said that budgeting issues and reduced staff were the primary reasons for the decision to shut down the department. Last year, he said, there were communication issues with the town government that caused many volunteers to leave, reducing the station's staff numbers. This year, the decision was made to cut out increased funding to the volunteer force, leaving its future uncertain.

The volunteers will be offered a pension for their time serving the town.

"This decision did not come lightly," said Schoeck, who noted that many who currently serve in the Meriden Fire Department and others across the state got their start volunteering at the station.

"The city of Meriden Fire Department has worked side by side, shoulder to shoulder on the same calls throughout their history. We have worked together, we have seen many of the great members of South Meriden Fire Department who have come up through ranks, and we've even had many members that have been hired in the Meriden Fire Department that originated and started their career here in South Meriden," she said.

The department had a peak of just over 40 volunteers around 30 years ago. Volunteer numbers have waned nationwide, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic — falling 67% since 2017. Many volunteer departments have closes and full-time stations struggled to find new members.

Employers largely didn't view volunteerism as favorably as they did years ago, Schoeck said, with many unwilling to allow people to leave work if they needed to respond to an emergency call.

Capt. Hal Kevorkian, the 16th elected chief in the department's history, said that the decision saddened him, but he reflected on the dedication of department members who volunteered their time despite having full-time careers outside of the fire service.

"Without question, there's an outstanding array of individuals dedicated to the perseverance of good standards and quality service at every turn," Kevorkian said, ending his statement with an open request to people to consider taking up volunteering at other fire services if it interested them.

State Rep. Michael Quinn along with City Councilors Yvette Cortez and Bob Williams came out to honor the volunteers and express their sadness that it was coming to an end. It was only a couple years ago the city honored the legacy of the department, dedicating a memorial in the nearby South Meriden Veterans Memorial Park on Main Street that stands with the names of all the past volunteer chiefs.

Volunteer programs won't be coming to an end in Meriden entirely, however, as next year the town plans to start its own Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), allowing for people with medical training to accompany emergency responders to active scenes like fires to help render aid. Schoeck said that the current volunteers at Engine Company 6 had the chance to continue that work through CERT if they so wished.