TheDay.com, New London, CT

Waterford Fire Service Gets Time To Refine Study

By PATRICIA DADDONA
Day Staff Writer, Waterford
Published on 2/23/2005

Waterford— The Board of Selectmen gave fire officials until the end of April to put the finishing touches on a fire study members said was much better than previous efforts.

Cohanzie Fire Chief Bill Henderson, who has led a group of five fire chiefs, two fire commissioners, the fire marshal and the fire administrator, in consolidating previous studies, said the new study, with its backup data, could serve as a long-term plan for the fire service.

“I've seen plenty of studies done,” Henderson told the selectmen at their meeting Tuesday. “I haven't seen a solid plan that would administer the fire service in 15 years.... In previous studies, we've been compared to towns that are three quarters pasture land, that don't have growth or the growth potential we have in this community.”

The Board of Finance has proposed conducting another comprehensive study using an ad hoc committee of various board and commission members and a paid, independent consultant.

First Selectman Paul B. Eccard and Selectman Peter Davis said they are not likely to support spending money on more studies. They voted to give fire officials more time to revise portions of their study before deciding to support or reject the finance proposal.

Selectperson Cheryl Larder was opposed, though she applauded the inroads made in the new study. If Eccard and Davis don't support hiring a consultant, they might as well vote that way now, she said, so the finance board can convene an ad hoc committee and consider how best to obtain objective analysis.

“My concern continues to be around the fact that this is still a study by the fire service, for the fire service,” she said. “I still think you're going to need another way to get all the other boards and agencies to buy into this. Get an ad hoc committee to confirm this for you.”

The selectmen will meet with fire study authors and the Board of Fire Commissioners, who have not yet endorsed the study, in March, and vote on a recommendation to the finance board on April 26.