By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• City officials in Norwich, Connecticut, shut down the Yantic Volunteer Fire Engine Company No. 1 over its refusal to sign an agreement under a new unified fire command structure.
• The volunteer department, in operation for about 179 years, was removed from 911 dispatch and its funding frozen.
• Norwich Fire Chief Samuel Wilson and the city manager directed the unified command initiative to standardize training, communications and emergency response.
• City personnel have been stationed to cover the Yantic area’s emergency response following the closure.
• The Yantic department has filed a lawsuit challenging the city’s actions as officials plan further talks.
NORWICH, CT — The City of Norwich has suspended operations of the historic Yantic Volunteer Fire Engine Company No. 1 after leaders declined to sign an agreement to join a unified fire command structure created to integrate volunteer and paid fire services, officials said.
City officials announced the directive last August intending to standardize training, communications and emergency response protocols under a centralized command led by the city’s fire chief and manager. However, the Yantic department resisted the changes, arguing it would lose autonomy over its operations.
On Monday night, city leaders set a deadline for the department to sign a “fire and emergency services agreement” agreeing to comply with the unified structure. When the deadline passed without a signed contract, the city removed the volunteer department from 911 dispatch, froze its budget and revoked access to its credit cards, officials said.
Norwich fire officials have positioned paid personnel in the Yantic district to ensure continued emergency coverage, with authorities noting there have been no interruptions in service and response times remain within established time frames.
Representatives of the volunteer company said they lacked sufficient time to review the contract with their membership and contend that signing would violate their bylaws. The department has filed a lawsuit challenging the city’s action, and discussions toward a resolution are expected to continue.