Fire chief details modular training center as council probes LOSIP funding and $120M OPEB liability

The Middletown fire chief told the common council on July 6 that the city has ordered a modular training building — described as fabricated from Conex/shipping containers — and that the facility will support live‑fire, rope rescue and search‑and‑rescue training on site.

"We're actually gonna do live fire training in this building," the fire chief said, adding the structure will remain on site, be owned and maintained by the city, and be available to other departments for a modest fee. The project used $350,000 in Urban Act funds and additional local funds; the chief said a vendor called Forged by Fire is designing and building the training center and that construction will take about a year.

Council members also discussed LOSIP funds and a training line on the LOSIP report. Director Erlacher explained LOSIP generally funds roads and city buildings — not school buildings — and confirmed the city's LOSIP allotment for the year at about $487,000. Questions from councilors sought clarification on whether training or a modular training facility could be a reimbursable LOSIP expense; staff said the modular purchase had been recorded under modular training in past reports.

Later in the meeting staff provided an estimate of the city's other post‑employment benefits (OPEB) liability at roughly $120 million and noted about $50 million has been placed into an OPEB trust. Councilors discussed how recent labor agreements addressed wages but not broadly restructured OPEB contribution levels, and asked staff to return with more detailed financial figures and forecasts.

The workshop ended without formal votes on the training facility financing or OPEB policy changes; staff were asked to provide documentation and follow‑up information for future agenda items.