Southington Seeks Federal Funds To Address Firefighter Staff Problem

SOUTHINGTON, CT — With firefighter staffing at the Southington Fire Department a continued concern, town officials are hoping the federal government can help out financially.

The Southington Town Council last week unanimously voted to authorize SFD Chief Eric Heath to seek $1.26 million in federal funds to hire four additional firefighters.

Those positions would be fully funded by the grant, Heath said at the Jan. 13 council meeting, for three years, with the town picking up the expense afterward.

The grant would come via the Federal Emergency Management Agency's "Staffing For Adequate Fire and Emergency Respons" program ... or "SAFER."

Heath said SAFER funds are competitive, but he was confident Southington stood a good chance to earn the award, citing the department's needs and his staff's grant writers.

While Heath sought letters of support from the town manager, board of finance, and town council, U.S. Rep. John Larson's office has also been contacted, with Larson on board with support, according to Democratic Councilman Christopher J. Palmieri.

Heath said the town would find out if it received the funds in February or March of this year, with fire officials weighing its next steps should Southington not get the grant.

Southington seeking the grant comes after a tense Southington Board of Fire Commissioners meeting on Jan. 2, when the firefighters union and community supporters packed a special meeting.

The concerns that night were rumored staff cuts and the closing of a fire station, something the board claimed wasn't going to happen as it prepares the fire budget for 2025-26.

Union members had contended the paid firefighter roster (The SFD is a hybrid paid/volunteer department) needed to grow and any cuts could jeopardize community and staff safety.

Earlier in the council meeting on Jan. 13, a tense atmosphere also existed.

It featured Democratic Councilman Jack Perry taking heat from mainly Republican council colleagues for his appearance on local television news stations to discuss the issue earlier in the month.

During councilperson communications, Perry said the council needed to have a special meeting to discuss the fire department staffing issue, especially following a Dec. 26 fire that included a brief "mayday" call from responding firefighters at the scene.

According to Perry, he emailed Southington Town Council Chairman Paul Chaplinsky Jr. on the topic and "received no response."

Perry said it is the council's job to look into safety issues and he claimed National Fire Protection Association standards dictate Southington must hire 21 additional firefighters.

He said it was "disheartening" to not even get a response to his requests for a special meeting of the council, which is Republican-controlled.

"But this is a safety thing. I get it. Some people may call this 'politics," Perry said. "But this is our job to look at safety as a top priority. I know we do it with our fire department, but we owe it to our firefighters."

Republican Councilman Tony Morrison squared off against Perry, saying at the time of the fire commission meeting, it was unknown if staffing led to the "mayday" call.

Ultimately, he said, a report on the fire ruled it did not.

Morrison said the fire department and commission are looking to add staff incrementally to alleviate the issue over time and try and avoid any budgetary shock toward taxpayers.

He said support for the SFD has never waivered from the town.

According to Morrison, Perry's appearance on television news to discuss the firefighter staffing issue and the Dec. 26 fire was the "wrong way of doing the job for which they were elected."

Morrison said it "worried residents needlessly," implying that Southington was not a safe community.

He said the job of the fire commission, SFD staff, and the town manager is to manage the staffing situation at the department, implying the council needn't micromanage at that level.

GOP Councilman Michael DelSanto echoed those sentiments, saying he was "disappointed" to see Perry on the town green talking to television cameras earlier this month.

DelSanto questioned whether Perry spoke to fellow councilmen about "what was going on," as well as with other town and fire leaders.

Perry said television news reporters reached out to him when they couldn't get in touch with Chaplinsky Jr. or Southington Town Manager Alex Ricciardone.

According to Perry, the issue was and is a concern of residents and the council's job is to address it.

For the minutes of the Jan. 13 Southington Town Council meeting, click on this link.

From Jan. 10: 'No Firefighter Cuts, No Station Closures: Southington FD Board'

From Dec. 30, 2024: 'Southington Firefighters Fear Proposed Cuts Could Hurt Fire Coverage'