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Two New Fire Trucks, Eight New Firefighters Proposed by Department

Two new, state-of-the-art fire trucks, replacing current vehicles that are more than 25 years old, and eight new career firefighters are on the North Haven Fire Department’s wish list for next year.

First Selectman Michael Freda said the two new fire trucks are included in the proposed 2018-’19 budget, at a total cost of $1.1- to $1.2 million. Freda said the town is proposing a lease-to-buy payment structure for the trucks, allowing payments to spread over five years (about $250,000 per year) so taxpayers aren’t hit with a large, upfront expense.

While this request may seem new, Fire Chief Paul Januszewski said that in 2014 the department had requested to replace three engines that were “creeping up in age,” but a $1.6 million bonding package wasn’t approved.

A recent change in legislation regarding municipal fire equipment maintenance standards makes this request more urgent, according to Januszewski.

“It’s been a problem that we knew we were going to have to deal with for some period of time,” he said, “What’s changed is the passage of this bill, and now really kind of forces our hand to do something about it.”

Januszewski said the department’s proposal for eight new career firefighter positions would result in the first significant increase in department staff since 1974.

“There are at least one to two incidents per week that I have no unit to respond to, and I really want the public to realize that,” he said, “We are running at bare bones in terms of our operations.”

Januszewski encouraged interested residents to learn more by viewing the recording of the budget workshop that took place on Jan. 20, available at the Town of North Haven’s page on Vimeo.com.

New State Safety Standards

In October 2017, the state legislature passed House Bill 7047, which requires municipal and volunteer fire departments to maintain their pump and aerial fire apparatus components in compliance with national standards.

State Representative Dave Yaccarino (R-87) said the bill ensures the safety of firefighters—he said firefighters shouldn’t be sent out in vehicles that are unsafe, and noted that firefighters advocated for the bill.

Januszewski said the bill references National Fire Protection Association standards, which state that apparatus should be retired if its 25 years old.

“Fire engines haven’t changed a whole lot in looks in 25 years, but the insides have changed tremendously,” he said.

Januszewski said that safety features on cars have come a long way in 25 years, as have the safety features in fire apparatus such as airbags, anti-rollover reinforcements, and areas to secure firefighting equipment in the cab. He also said the braking systems and maneuverability of apparatus have advanced.

To diversify the fleet in town, Januszewski wants to purchase an “urban-interfaced” fire engine, which he says has a high ground clearance and four-wheel drive allowing it to go off-road.

“We don’t have anything like that right now,” he said.

Some areas of town are difficult to reach, according to Januszewski. Firefighters have to take the engine they have now as far as the road allows, then disembark and travel by foot, carrying all their equipment to an incident. The new truck will allow them to drive off the road “quite a distance,” Januszewski said.

That engine is actually less expensive than a regular structure fire engine, and Januszewski said it can still perform as a structure fire engine if needed.

The other proposed apparatus will be a standard fire engine, replacing Engine 1 at headquarters because it gets the most wear and tear and requires the most maintenance. The old engine will go to another station. Both the engines will be able to carry water.