Fire Apparatus Repossessed from Shuttered Department by Norwich, CT, Officials
The Day, New London, Conn.
(TNS)
Norwich — City employees with a police escort on Wednesday repossessed fire trucks being used by Yantic Fire Engine. Co. No. 1, a volunteer fire company that was shut down by the city a day earlier.
Around 1:42 p.m., a green public works van, a Norwich police car and a black SUV pulled up outside the firehouse. Out of the SUV climbed City of Norwich Fire Chief Sam Wilson, who promptly fixed his white Bell hat atop his head. At the same time, Sgt. Rich Cannata exited his cruiser, which was parked on the side of Yantic Lane opposite the fire house. Wilson walked up to the green van, and ushered out eight public works employees.
Together, the public works employees, and Wilson, walked toward five pieces of fire apparatus — three engines, one rescue truck and a squad truck. About an hour beforehand, Yantic volunteers had moven them from their usual place in the fire house engine bays, to the parking lot, in anticipation of the city's arrival.
Chief Wilson did a quick count of the vehicles before going over to shake the hand of Yantic Volunteer Chief Bobby Allen. Allen later summarized Wilson's greeting to him in three words: It's not personal."
Wilson then moved his SUV from the side of the road, and the public works employees, together drove the five vehicles out of the parking lot, down Yantic Lane, and out of sight. They were followed by Wilson and Cannata, creating a convoy.
On Tuesday, the city shut down the Yantic department, over failure to comply with the city's "Unified Command" directive, which, announced last summer, aimed to unify the city's fire services, by decreasing fragmentation between the paid and volunteer staff. In addition to establishing a new command structure with Wilson at the top, the directive standardized training, communications and emergency response protocols for both paid and volunteer fire services in the city.
The city said Yantic had not complied with that directive, and that therefore would face removal from the 911 system, loss of access to city funds, and have the city-owned trucks repossessed and redistributed amongst other departments.
City firefighters are now operating a substation in Yantic, with one fire engine staffed by an officer and two firefighters at a time, out of the Public Works garage on Clinton Avenue.
As employees reclaimed the trucks from Yantic, Wilson, could not say where the trucks will go to. He said first, the city will first take an inventory, and that will be followed by what he referred to as the "reallocation."
Earlier in the day, just after noon, Allen had been served a court-ordered injunction by a U.S. Court Marshal, ordering the return of the fire apparatus to the city.
“Well, they want our trucks,” Allen said, his black readers on, summarizing the court papers he just read.
Shortly afterwards, Allen was on the phone with City Manager John Salomone. The conversation was brief. Allen had said he'd leave the trucks out in the parking lot, to which Salomone agreed.
All morning, TV news reporters filed in and out of the station.
At 7 p.m. Wednesday night, more than 100 current or former volunteer personnel, their families and friends, and residents who support the volunteer fire service, packed a Public Safety Commission meeting held at the former Chelsea Groton Bank building at 300 Main St.
During a lengthy public comment period, they protested the decision to shut down Yantic, and the city directive. Many lambasted Wilson, who sat in the front row and often gazed down at a yellow legal pad of notes on his lap.
Several speakers referred to the decision to close the station as "bullying," or "strong-arm" tactics. They raised public safety concerns of all varieties, and concerns over taxes.
Kaitlyn O’Connell, who lives across the street from Backus Hospital, said she was a former Yantic firefighter of 11 years, and her father served as chief for 13 years.
"This isn't just about taking away fire trucks. It's not about just taking away people's safety. This is about family," she said. "I really, really implore you to rethink this. And to come back together. Because no matter what, the number one thing this should be about, is saving lives. That is the number one and top priority.
This is a developing story.
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