Torrington board restores $365,000 to fire budget to fund East Side daytime staffing

Torrington — The Board of Public Safety voted on May 6 to restore $365,000 to the fire department’s proposed FY26–27 budget and advanced the amended plan to the city council, after residents, chiefs and the local firefighters’ union pressed for daytime staffing on the East Side.

Fire Chief David Tripp Jr. told the board the funding is needed to provide daytime coverage and reduce current response times that “often range from 8 to 10 minutes.” Tripp said the $365,000 would cover roughly 10 hours a day of overtime for a lieutenant and a driver while the department works with the union on a longer-term staffing agreement: “A staffed east side fire company is no longer optional,” he said.

Former Torrington chief John Field and Timothy O’Donnell, president of Torrington Firefighters Local 1567, also urged approval. Field described the proposal as “practical and responsible,” and O’Donnell warned that “it should not take a tragedy” to prompt action. Multiple East Side residents described long travel times and local growth that they said make additional coverage urgent.

During debate, commissioners pressed for specifics: where the money would come from and how staffing would operate with the proposed initial staffing levels. Mayor (chair) noted there were two broad options for covering the cost — make additional cuts elsewhere in the city budget or accept a higher mill rate — and reminded the board that the council and board of finance would review the final city budget.

Tripp described equipment and fleet shortfalls as part of the urgency: several engines currently are out of service or under repair, and the department is pursuing options to secure replacement units with deliveries that can range from one to several years. He said the $365,000 is a targeted operational restore and not a permanent full staffing solution: the plan is to use the funds to staff daytime coverage while seeking an MOU with the union to secure longer-term staffing.

After extended discussion and public comment, the board approved the amendment to include the $365,000 and forwarded the fire budget to city council; the mayor noted this is not the final step and that council and the board of finance must also approve the city’s budgets.

What’s next: The amended FY26–27 budgets will go to the Torrington City Council and the board of finance for review and final action. The fire department said it will present follow-up materials, including staffing and apparatus plans, at upcoming meetings.