Four Enfield Fire Districts Pursue One Department

ENFIELD, CT — Four of Enfield’s five fire departments want to join together, sharing staff, equipment and one budget instead of running separately.

The departments presented their merger plans to the public Monday night, Nov. 9, WTNH reported. Patch also reviewed committee records describing the proposal. Those records outline a possible July 2028 start, but the schedule, tax bills and staffing plans are not final.

The plan involves Thompsonville, North Thompsonville, Hazardville and Shaker Pines. Enfield Fire District No. 1 is not part of the proposed merger. Patch previously reported on a September informational forum about the proposed consolidation.

A 2025 presentation posted by the town says combining the departments could help them share firefighters, equipment and training, buy services together and reduce the need for separate chiefs and other administrative jobs. Better service is another goal.

The committee chose “Fire Department of Enfield” as the proposed name in February, according to its Feb. 17 minutes.

When Could It Happen?

The committee originally discussed a November 2026 public vote and a possible July 2027 start. By August, it was considering a longer schedule and a different way to approve the merger.

The Aug. 6 minutes describe public hearings followed by approval from at least two-thirds of each district’s governing board. A public poll that would advise the boards, without deciding the outcome, was also discussed.

The tentative schedule called for state approval in 2027 and the departments to begin operating as one on July 1, 2028. Until then, they would continue running separately.

A proposed nine-member board would include two people from each current district and one resident from any of the four districts.

Those details reflect the August discussions and could change.

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Would Residents Pay More Or Less?

The committee’s February 2025 minutes describe an early estimate of $11.4 million in income at a combined fire tax rate of 4.66 mills — or $4.66 for every $1,000 of taxable assessed property value. That is an old estimate, not a final rate.

By May 2026, a financial consultant was comparing the cost of combining the districts’ budgets with the cost of staffing and equipment requested in the merger plan. Enfield’s updated property assessments would also affect the calculations, according to the May 7 minutes.

Staffing plans were also unfinished. The February minutes say more financial information, a new board and a new chief were needed before the plan could be completed.

What Concerns Have Been Raised?

A survey of firefighters and fire commissioners found strong interest in merging, according to the April 16 minutes. But the minutes also described respondents’ main concern as “the lack of transparency of the committee.”

Eastern Connecticut State University, which conducted the survey, recommended a newsletter to keep members informed. The minutes do not say how many people responded. This was not a townwide poll of residents.

District No. 1’s leaders previously said joining a merger could leave their taxpayers paying other districts’ debts.

In a December 2024 letter published by Patch, President Vincent Grady and Vice President Patrick Droney cited about $6.3 million in other districts’ debt. They said their district had none at that time.

It would be “a disservice to Enfield Fire District taxpayers to absorb debt that wasn’t incurred by the district,” they wrote. Those financial claims date to 2024.

The committee’s online records collection includes meeting records dating to 2022. August 2026 was the latest listed set of minutes reviewed by Patch.

For more Northern Connecticut news, follow Patch editor Jay Kenney.