Deputy fire chief says Torrington faces "major crisis" after multiple engines sidelined

Deputy Chief Randy Tasonic told the Torrington Board of Finance on June 16 that the cityaces a significant public-safety risk after several fire apparatus were taken out of service and one was declared unusable following an emergency inspection.

"We are at a major crisis," Deputy Chief Randy Tasonic said, describing a truck whose double frame had separated from front axle to rear, bolts snapped, a fuel-tank crossmember rotted through and metal found in the pump oil cooling reservoir. He said that finding rendered that engine "out of service indefinitely." He added that the department now has only one spare front-line apparatus in service.

The department reported a fleet of four engines, two aerials, one rescue and several support vehicles; multiple pieces exceed NFPA-recommended replacement cycles and have mounting maintenance and parts-availability problems. Tasonic cited repeated failures on older, bought-used trucks and estimated repair bills rising rapidly: "We're going to be looking at another $50,000 to keep one truck running," he said of ongoing repairs, and described having already invested hundreds of thousands into older aerial equipment.

Tasonic outlined operational impacts: higher risk of delayed responses, limited reserve coverage for a city he described as roughly 40,000 people across about 40 square miles, and increased reliance on mutual aid. "If I lose another truck, I'm gonna have zero reserves," he warned, noting the department's need to borrow or lease equipment immediately to prevent coverage gaps.

He described options under consideration, including a used engine offered by New Hartford for $80,000 that could provide three to four years of service and longer-term strategies such as letters of intent or leasing to hedge steep new-vehicle price increases. Tasonic contrasted a 2022 purchase price of $660,000 for a demonstrator engine with a current market quote of about $1.1 million for the same model.

Board members pressed for details on preventive maintenance, parts availability and procurement timing. Tasonic said he has developed an NFPA-aligned preventive-maintenance program and has begun working with outside emergency-vehicle technicians (EVTs) and the city's vehicle-maintenance staff to begin undercarriage protection and annual inspections. He said a mid-July special meeting with the mayor and the vehicle replacement board is likely to discuss purchase or leasing options.

Mayor and finance board members acknowledged the severity of the briefing and the budgetary constraints involved; one member said she supported the East End staffing concept but preferred funding new hires in a future operating budget rather than increasing overtime this year.

What happens next: the deputy chief said he will keep the board updated and pursue immediate short-term options (borrowing or purchasing a used engine) while developing a revised replacement plan and preventive-maintenance program. A request for a special meeting in mid July to present procurement options was flagged for the mayor and vehicle-replacement board.